Live a Little
by Doc95
Summary: Sequel to It Must Run in the Family. Your favorite teenagers are back! And now they're turning into adults! Alexander Abernathy and Ivy Mellark have been together for almost 4 years. They are getting ready to graduate Panem University and start their lives together. Will an envious student take away their chance at happiness? Follow your favorite characters through another journey
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, Everyone! Well, this is the third installment of my little series! You're going to watch Ivy, Alex, Phoenix, Lilac, Finn, Liam, and Ash as they move through some more crazy journeys. They'll find love, heart break, and strength they never knew they possessed. Trust and love will be pushed to its limits and true love will be lost and discovered. Do I have you absolutely reeling yet? Ladies and gentleman, without further ado, I present you with "Live a Little"! Read on! **

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Chapter One

Ivy Mellark's POV

"Alex, stop it. I have to study," I chastise my boyfriend of almost four years, Alexander Abernathy. Yes, Abernathy, as in, son of Hunger Games Victor, Haymitch Abernathy, and former Hunger Games escort, Effie Trinket.

"You, Ivy Mellark, are no fun," He tells me with a smirk that I swear his father taught him. I roll my eyes at him as I continue studying for my anatomy and physiology class.

Alex and I are both seniors at Panem University in the Capitol, along with my twin brother, Phoenix. My younger siblings, who are also twins, are sophomores. Lilac is majoring in music and theater performance. Finnick, we all call him Finn, is majoring in sports medicine, but we're all pretty sure he's just here because of the football scholarship he got.

I am majoring in biology and I plan on attending medical school here in the Capitol next fall. Alex has changed his major three times since we started here but he's chosen biochemistry and has been sticking with it so far. Phoenix, my twin brother, is majoring in Art and Art History. People always say that I'm left brained and my brother is right brained.

These last three and half years have been pretty crazy, with school and taking my MCATs for medical school and making time for Alex and friends and going to see family. Alex and I try to go home at least once a month on a weekend. It really means the world to his mom. We all thought Effie was going to die of heartbreak when Alex left for college.

I flinch when I feel a piece of paper hit me in the back of the head. I turn and see my brother Finn pointing accusingly at my boyfriend. I roll my eyes as I close my textbook and turn around to face him.

"Can I help you?" I ask him.

"Nope," He replies. "I just really like your couch." He tells me as he bounces on the futon that mom and dad got me for my senior year.

"Hey, now that you finally stopped studying, we should go grab something to eat." Alex says as he starts getting up. "And no excuses; you need to eat something." He adds on after he sees I am about to object. Well, I guess he is right.

"Alright, let's go." I tell him as I grab my coat. "Get out," I tell my brother, pointing to the door. He mumbles under his breath, something about "never being welcome anywhere". I roll my eyes as Alex and I head for the diner that is a few blocks off campus.

"Several of the lab rats that have been on methamphetamines have developed insomnia and irregular heartbeat. It's interesting to see how they are reacting to withdrawal of the drugs. Alex, are you okay?" I stop my rambling when I notice Alex seems to be . . . falling asleep.

"What? Oh, sorry, I guess I'm a little wiped out from classes this week." He tells me. Of course he's wiped out! He's taking at least twice the workload of a regular student.

"You're working too hard. You need to give yourself a break." I tell him.

"Nah, I'm fine," He replies.

"Ethan found you asleep at your microscope in the lab last night," I state.

"I just fell asleep while I was looking at some microbes. I'm fine, really I am." He attempts to assure me.

"Yeah, well, I'm going to make sure you catch up on your sleep while we're on break." I tell him. A week from now, we'll be on break after finishing up our final exams for the semester.

"Oh, but before the rest, comes the cramming," Alex says. I am about to say something when Alex's phone interrupts me. I smile when I recognize the ringtone he assigned his dad. Haymitch, the summer after our freshman year at Panem University, had bought us both IPhones so that we could all keep in touch better. Let's just say that Effie loves her IPhone way too much.

"What was that about?" I ask Alex after he hangs up with his dad.

"Oh, he just wanted to know what I thought he should get mom for Christmas," Alex replies with a chuckle. "That man has never been the best at Christmas shopping."

We spend about another hour in the diner, eating dinner and some desert together. So far, this year has started out pretty stressful. We're both working hard on our graduation projects. At the end of the year, the week before graduation, there is an open house where all the graduation projects are showcased.

My graduation project is a study on how chronic use of stimulant drugs, such as amphetamines and cocaine, can have short and long term effects on lab rats. My professors have all been really intrigued and supportive of my project, which has been a great help. I love spending time in the lab and conducting all my experiments.

Alex's graduation project is comparing and contrasting how penicillin, the superhero of antibiotics, works against common illnesses, such as pneumonia, and uncommon illnesses such as scarlet fever. I have to say that I do love hearing about his progress in his experiments and observation.

"I love you," Alex murmurs against my lips as we stop outside of my dorm room to kiss each other for the millionth time since we left the diner.

"I love you, too." I sigh, running my fingers through his curly, reddish-brown hair. He cups my face in his strong hands and runs his tongue over my lower lip. I allow his tongue entrance into my mouth and our tongues duel for dominance. I reach behind me and fumble with the door handle.

Finally, we manage to get into my dorm room, never breaking our kiss. Fireworks are erupting inside of me. Alex makes me feel . . . just absolutely wonderful. Unfortunately, we have to break our kiss, our need for oxygen going against our carnal desires. I am about to resume our kiss when I notice Ethan and Faith making out on the couch.

Ethan is Alex's roommate. They've been roommates all four years of college. Faith is my roommate and we've been roommates all four years, too. On our first night of freshman year, Ethan and Faith totally hit it off. They dated for a few months before breaking it off. Then, about three months after they broke up, Alex and I walked in on them . . . well, you know. Since then, well, they've been in a sort of "friends with benefits" relationship.

"Of course," Alex grumbles when he notices what I am looking at. Ethan and Faith have . . . interrupted Alex and me on more than a few occasions. Alex finds it incredibly annoying. I think that maybe we were supposed to be interrupted. We haven't . . . been intimate yet. I guess we're just waiting for the right time in our lives.

"We could go to my room," Alex suggests.

"Nah, I have more studying to catch up on anyways." I tell him. "Love you," I say as I kiss him once more on the lips.

"Love you, too, babe." He tells me. He then proceeds to grab Ethan away from Faith and drag him home.

"I have to say this, Ivy. That boyfriend of yours is pretty damn hot." Faith tells me as she watches Alex drag Ethan out of our dorm room.

"That he is," I agree.

"We didn't totally interrupt you and him, did we?" She asks me.

"Oh, no," I assure her. "We're . . . we're waiting,"

"For what, a written invitation?" She asks me.

"No, just for the right time," I tell her.

"Well, if I were you, I would jump his bones before another girl does." Faith says.

"What do you mean?" I ask her, a little confused.

"I'm just saying that you're not the only girl on campus that finds that man of yours attractive. If you aren't going to put out, well, someone else will." Faith expands before she heads into her bedroom.

That can't be true, can it? I mean, of course other girls find him attractive. He is hot. But, they wouldn't . . . put out. I mean, basically everyone on campus knows we're dating. They couldn't all be that . . . that immoral, could they? And, certainly, Alex wouldn't . . . do anything with them. Would he?

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**So, I might be slightly bipolar. I totally went from complete happiness to some serious doubt . . . o.O I guess we'll have to see what happens. Also, what do you guys think of Ethan and Faith? They might become pretty important for this story and my next! I kind of like them, they're a bit different and I think that they will add a certain . . . twist . . . to Alex and Ivy's relationship (as you sort of saw above). Also, another question: I wanted to know it you guys wanted to maybe see some . . . M stuff in this story? It's totally up to you whether you want it or not. Honestly, I've never written that kind of stuff before so it might suck a little until I get the hang of it. Let me know what you guys think about . . . well, everything in your reviews! Thanks for reading! I think we're continuing quite a fun journey!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, Everyone! Another chapter for the n****ight! I'm going to try and get another one in before I go to bed. Hopefully I do. Well, this chapter is more about Ivy and Alex! I really do love them! I honestly cannot wait until I do my last installment to this series where I get to write about them having lots and lots of babies! Well, Read on!**

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Chapter Two

Alexander Abernathy's POV

Ivy and I are studying together with Faith and Ethan in the University's library. I just love having Ivy near me. I can never get enough of her presence. Finals are sort of turning my brain to mush; way too much to study, way too little time.

I just can't wait until finals are over and we can go back to District 12 for a few weeks of break. I can't wait until Ivy and I can actually spend some time together without having textbooks scattered around us. I love to learn and all but there's only so much your brain can handle.

"I don't know about you guys, but I could totally go for a drink." Ethan says.

"I'm game," Faith agrees.

"Ah, I think we'll take a rain check." Ivy replies.

"Oh, come on! You guys never come out for a drink! You two really need to live a little!" Faith exclaims.

"Sorry, we just don't drink." I tell her.

"Well, I think you need to start!" She responds. It takes us another thirty minutes to convince Faith and Ethan that we don't need to go out for a drink. They leave us, telling us we're complete losers for not accompanying them.

Ivy and I decide to head up to my dorm room to just hang out for a few hours. Things have been way too stressful lately. We've both been working so hard to keep up with our classes and we've been spending a lot of time in our separate laboratories working on our graduation projects.

"I'm sorry we haven't gotten to spend all that much time together lately," I mumble into Ivy's hair as I kiss the top of her head. We are sitting on mine and Ethan's couch watching the big screen TV that my dad bought for our room.

"It's not your fault," She tells me. "We've both just been working hard. Things will get better once we graduate."

"Until you go to med school," I whisper sadly. Don't get me wrong, I think it is absolutely wonderful that my girlfriend wants to be a doctor and commit her life to helping people. I just really wish it didn't mean she'd have to work so hard for so long.

"Do you not want me to go?" Ivy asks me, her eyes shining with a twinge of hurt.

"Oh, Ivy, no," I tell her. "I want you to go," I say, kissing her lips. "You're going to be a great doctor," I kiss her again, "You're going to save so many lives and . . ." Another kiss. Ivy wraps her arms around my neck and I lose my train of thought.

She nibbles on my bottom lips and I part my lips so she can slip her tongue between them. Oh, this woman drives me absolutely crazy. I wrap my arms around her torso and pull her closer to me. I just can't get enough of her.

"Umph," I moan as she pushes me back onto the couch. My hands go to her silky smooth, brown hair. She tugs on my shirt and, before I know it, she has ripped it off my body.

"I-Ivy, hold on a sec." I say, gently pushing her away from me.

"What's the matter? Don't you want to . . .?" She asks me.

"Well, yeah, of course I do. I just thought you still wanted to wait." I reply, pushing a stray lock of brunette hair from her face.

"I did but . . . I know you're a guy and I know that guys . . ." She trails off.

"Ivy, I'm not going to push you into anything you aren't ready for. Sweetheart, I love you and I am willing to wait as long as you want." I tell her.

"Are you sure?" She asks me and I can see the fear and worry in her eyes.

"Of course I'm sure. Ivy, I waited so long just to tell you I love you. Babe, I am in total heaven right now just sitting on the couch and watching stupid movies." I assure her.

"I know. It's just . . . we've been dating for almost four years and we still haven't . . . done anything." Ivy replies.

"We don't have to have sex to be in a relationship." I say. "There's more to it than that. I think we need to . . . I don't know . . . I guess we just have to figure ourselves out before we take on a physical relationship like that. I mean, that's a pretty big step."

"I guess . . . I just don't want you . . . going to someone else," Ivy tells me and I think I feel my heart break. How can she think I would ever go to someone else? She's the one I love. She's the only woman I've ever loved.

"Ivy, I couldn't go to anyone else. Not when I love you as much as I love you. Ivy, I will never hurt you like that. Trust me when I tell you that I want to wait until we are both ready. Really, we're still just kids." I tell her, pulling her close to me in a hug.

"I understand. I guess I just worry. You're really a great guy and I swear sometimes I can feel all the girls around campus eyeing you up. It scares me because I think you might run off with one of them because they're offering you something I haven't." Ivy admits.

"Ivy, there is only one girl for me and that's you. The only girl I'll ever love as much as I love you will be our own baby girl. Until then, I only have eyes for you, babe." I reassure her.

"I really do love you. You know that, right?" Ivy asks.

"Of course I know you love me. And I love you, too, so much." I tell her, kissing her beautiful lips. After our kiss, Ivy laughs to herself about something.

"What are you laughing at?" I ask her teasingly.

"Oh, just how my dad would have killed you if we had had sex." She says through her chuckles. I feel the blood rush out of my face. She is so right. Peeta would have skinned me alive and then slowly made me eat my own skin while Katniss used me for target practice. I shiver at the thought.

"I can't wait until life gets less hectic," Ivy says as we recline on the couch together.

"Me too, babe, me too," I agree as I turn the station on the TV to some sappy romance movie I know Ivy will enjoy. After a while, my eyelids begin to droop. It really has been a tiring day. I can no longer keep my eyelids open so I shut the TV off and turn the lights down before falling asleep on the couch, Ivy next to me with her head resting on my shoulder and my arm wrapped around her protectively.

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**Say it with me! "Awwwwwwwwwwww" Yeah, I definitely love these two! Dont worry, the next chapter will have some more of the other kids. There is much to tell about the LiamXLilacXAsh love triangle! (No, I haven't turned Lilac into a lesbian LOL). Please review and thanks for reading! I hope I'm not disappointing you all too badly yet! I'll try to kick things up a notch soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, Everyone! Sorry I didn****'t get this up last night. I started out hating this chapter, having no idea what to do, and ended up loving it, because it gave me material for later chapters. In this chapter we divert away from Alex and Ivy a bit and see how Lilac's doing these days! Well, go ahead, Read on!**

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Chapter Three

Lilac Mellark's POV

_*One Week Later*_

"Thank God finals are over!" I exclaim as I plop down next to my sister, Ivy, on the train. "Now I can sleep for a week straight!" There was nothing better than sleeping in your childhood room after a very rough week of final exams. Ivy just laughs and shakes her head at me.

I smile and lean my head against the back of my seat. I really cannot wait to go home and just relax! My smile falters when my brother and Liam Hawthorne board the train. Liam and I used to date. We broke up this past summer. It was mutual. I think we both realized that we were young and still needed to live a little. So, we broke it off on good terms. Nowadays, though, we don't really talk or see each other. Since I'm majoring in music and he's an engineer major, our paths don't cross much.

_*Flashback*_

"Hey," Liam says as he joins me at the counter of the diner in East District 12's town square.

"Hey," I reply quietly. Things between us since we returned from our freshman year at Panem University for the summer have been a little strained and awkward. The waitress comes and takes our orders. When she leaves, Liam and I are thrust into an awkward silence. I think we both know that it's time that we probably should break up, but I think we're both a little hesitant to make our friendship awkward.

"Lilac,"

"Liam," We both start at the same time. We chuckle nervously before he tells me to go first. I take a deep breath and continue. "Liam, I . . . I think we should break up." I tell him nervously. I watch as he sighs, like he knew this was coming but hoped that it wouldn't happen so soon. "I'm sorry," I say.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. This has been kinda coming for a while now I guess. I mean, we've both been pretty . . . distant towards each other." He replies. "I guess we've both just been drifting away from each other."

"I guess," I respond softly. "I still care about you and I hope that we can at least try to be friends. I mean, we're going to see each other a lot since we live so close together. It's inevitable." I say. Liam nods his head before he holds out his hand.

"Friends?" He asks, giving me one of his half smiles.

"Friends," I confirm, shaking his hand and giving him a smile on my own.

_*End of Flashback*_

That was about six months ago. Things are still awkward between us and we've kind of been avoiding each other as much as possible. It isn't awkward because I still have feelings for him though, because I don't. Whatever infatuation I had with him when we were in high school has seemed to fade. I guess we just weren't meant to be.

I sigh as the train begins its journey to District 12. I watch as the outside world blurs together as the train moves at its unmatchable speed. I really am excited to be home again for a few weeks. I mean, I do love college. Where else can you go to an epic party every night? But, it will be nice to see my parents and the rest of my family again after these last four months at school.

"Hey," I hear someone say as they sit down next to me. I open my eyes and see Ash sitting beside me.

"Hi," I reply, trying to hide the fact that my heart rate just doubled.

"How did you theater performance final go?" He asks me, reclining in his seat with his arms spread out behind his head. I swallow when I feel his right arm brush against my blonde hair.

"It was okay I guess. I guess I wasn't too thrilled about the piece I was assigned." I tell him. "How was your music composition final?" I ask him, sitting up so his arm isn't so close to me.

"I don't really know, but I think the prof liked the song I wrote and composed." He tells me. I can't help to notice the twinkle in his forest green eyes when he talks about his music. He always gets that twinkle in his eyes when he talks about his music.

"You wrote a song?" I ask him.

"Yeah," He replies, with a blush. "It's really nothing. Just a stupid song that I figured the prof would like."

"Don't be so modest. I'm sure it's wonderful," I tell him. "You'll have to play it for me sometime," His blush deepens at that but he agrees.

"Sometime during break," He promises, running his fingers through his wavy, blonde hair. Green eyes and blonde hair is a very attractive combination in my book.

Ash Hemlock's POV

I can feel the heat spread across my face in an embarrassing blush as Lilac tells me she wants to hear my song. It's kind of embarrassing since I wrote the song about her. I entitled it "Grey Eyes", after my favorite feature of hers. Her eyes are just tiny portals to all her emotions and dreams. I really do love them.

A few months ago, I couldn't help but feel a little bit happy when I found out that Lilac and Liam had broken up. Then, of course, I felt guilty. I mean, how could I bet happy when my best friend had just broken up with the only girlfriend he had ever had? What kind of a best friend does that?

But, I still felt a twinge happy about it. That meant she was up for grabs. If only I could get my act together and actually tell her how I felt. Maybe when I play my song for her she'll finally see. Finally see how hopelessly in love with her I've been for the past six years. Because it is hopeless how I've been pining after her for all these years. At first, I was afraid of telling her because I feared she wouldn't feel the same way. I still felt like that and I don't want to make our friendship awkward. Then, when she and Liam got together, well, I didn't want to anything about it because that would be betrayal to Liam.

I still remember the day I kissed her on her sixteenth birthday. It had been one of the stupidest things I'd ever done in my young life. I never did forget the way her lips felt against mine, how I could taste her strawberry lip gloss, how my heart just expanded with love and happiness. No. I would never quite forget the best kiss of my entire life.

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***Sigh* Now I have to write a song . . . blah . . . Oh well, I'll just have to make sure I don't disappoint you! I'll try! So, review and let me know what you think of some of the new little developments in the story! Don't worry, things will start picking up in the drama world in a little bit. Until then, I really hope you enjoy my fluff! Please review and thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, Everyone! ****Totally messed up and updated the third chapter again. I deleted it and fixed my mistake. Sorry! Totally just messed up! Well, go ahead and Read on!**

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Chapter Four

Phoenix Mellark's POV

"Mom, dad, we're home!" Finn calls as we all enter the house with our luggage. The scent of cinnamon is evident in the house. Dad must have started his Christmas baking a little early this year. Mom comes out from the kitchen and kisses and hugs us all. From the scent of cinnamon on her breath, I conclude that mom has already started enjoying dad's baking.

"Your father would love it if you would give him a hand in the kitchen," Mom tells me. I chuckle as I toss my duffle bag halfway up the stairs and head into the kitchen.

"There's my partner in crime!" Dad shouts as I come into the kitchen. He gives me a hug and then I pull on my apron. It's time to get down to business.

As we go about measuring and mixing ingredients for the gingerbread cookies that we make every year, I realize how much I have missed baking with my father. When I was little, it was my favorite activity. I loved it so much because it was I got to have dad all to myself. None of my siblings seemed to quite enjoy baking as much when as I do. It was nice to have that thing I could do with him, just him and me.

"I've missed this," Dad tells me as we slide the cookies into the oven.

"Me too," I tell him.

"So, tell me about you and Harper," He says as we start the dough for the next batch of cookies we'll be making, sugar cookies.

"We're good. We've both been really busy with our senior projects. There are a few galleries in the Capitol that have shown interest in our work." I answer him.

"That's great, kiddo!" He tells me. Dad and I continue with our conversation and our baking. It's always been easy for me to talk to him when I was growing up. Mom says it's because we're so much alike. I guess that's true. We're both artists and bakers and we're both able to read people's emotions really well. It's nice to have someone you're so much like to just talk to sometimes, even if you are more of an introverted and shy person like me.

Alexander Abernathy's POV

The second I walk through the door, mom has me in the tightest hug she's ever given me.

"Hey, mom," I greet her, trying to stifle my chuckle.

"How was the train ride?" She asks me, letting me go from her death grip.

"Not too bad, just really long," I tell her as she shuffles me over to the couch. "Where's dad at?" I ask her.

"Where do you think? He spends most of his time in that garage working on whatever his new project happens to be." Mom laughs. Of course that's where dad is. I tell mom I'm going to go check on him and then I head into the garage.

"Hey, old man," I call as I enter the garage. Dad is bent over the engine of what looks like a 1949 black Thunderbird.

"Who are you calling old?" He asks me as he straightens up. We share a man-hug and I end up with a streak of black grease on my green shirt.

"Your mom will know how to get that out," He tells me as he wipes off his hands.

"Mom says you're neglecting her," I joke as I look around the garage. Dad and I spent most of our time together in here, fixing up some old vehicle until it would run again.

"Trust me, that woman gets enough of my attention." Dad assures me as we make our way into the house.

"Take off those grubby shoes!" I hear mom call. Dad grumbles as he takes of his grease covered tennis shoes.

"So, how's college treating you?" Dad asks me as we head into the kitchen. We sit down at the table and mom joins us, bringing a plate of chocolate chip cookies with her.

"Good," I say. "It's been pretty exhausting with finals and my project, but I love it. I still can't believe that we'll be graduating in May."

"But you'll be going back to get your Ph.D., right?" Mom asks me.

"Yeah," I tell them. "I think I'm going to go for microbiology. It's just such a vast and ever-changing field. Plus, there are so many discoveries waiting to be made that could really impact the future of the human race as we know it."

"I have no idea how you ended up so smart," Dad chuckles. "It certainly wasn't me you learned all that science mumbo-jumbo from."

"That's not true," I retort. "You were always doing those science experiment kits with me and then mom would yell at us for doing something she thought was dangerous."

"That is true," Dad agrees. "We didn't drive you too crazy, did we?" He asks mom, giving her his signature "You love me too much to be mad at me" smiles. Mom just rolls her eyes and gives him a quick kiss.

"We're going over to the Mellark's for dinner tonight, so be ready at six." Mom tells me. I nod before heading upstairs to my old bedroom. I really need a nap after that long train ride from the Capitol.

Up in my old bedroom, I can't help but smile. I spend so much time in here growing up and becoming the science nerd I am today. I loved every minute of it, too. It is crazy how many pets my mom actually let me have growing up. I've had Guinea pigs, lizards, frogs, and even some tropical fish. Yeah, I was kind of a spoiled child growing up.

I guess mom and dad were always trying to make sure I was happy. I think they were afraid that they would lose me or something if I wasn't the happiest kid on the face of the earth. That's not true, of course. After taking me in the way they did, I don't think I could ever not love them. God only knows what would have happened to me if they hadn't chosen to adopt me. I've heard so many horror stories about the foster system that it scares me to think that that was almost my life. I will always be thankful to my mom and dad for, well, being my mom and dad. Really, there's no better set of parents anyone could have ever asked for in all of Panem.

At six o'clock, we are all sitting around the Mellarks' dining room table. Ivy is sitting to my right and my mom is to my left. All of the family is here and, by all, I mean my parents, my Uncles Peeta, Nash, and Gale, my Aunts Katniss and Johanna, and Ash, Liam, Lilac, Finn, Phoenix, and, of course, Ivy.

As we eat, everyone tells stories and jokes about things that have happened over the last few months. We all certainly do lead interesting lives. Ivy tells everyone about her graduation project. I know none of them have any idea of what she is talking about, but everyone makes an effort to seem interested in her project. They question me about my project and I just give them a simple run down about what I've been trying to achieve.

The happiness just radiate from the table. It is obvious that all the parents are glad to have their children home and all the kids are glad to be home. Being on your own is all fine and dandy, but it is still nice to go back home to see your family. After all, family is everything.

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**I really like the Phoenix and Peeta bonding! Well, the next chapter will contain some . . . awkwardness that I hope you find funny! Thanks for reading and please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, Everyone! I really hope you guys love reading this chapter as much as I loved writing it! Read on! Read on!**

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Chapter Five

Ivy Mellark's POV

Everyone kind of scurries off the do their own things after dinner. The parents hang out in the dining room, chatting. Lilac, Finn, Liam, and Ash all head to go see some old friends from high school that went to different schools or joined the workforce right after high school. Phoenix takes Harper out for some ice cream. Alex and me? We just head up to my room to finally be alone after a day filled with family.

Don't get me wrong, I love my family. It's just nice to be able to have a few minutes with your boyfriend without your father shooting daggers with his eyes at said boyfriend. I love my father, but I think he's still having an issue with mine and Alex's relationship, especially since we are starting to get serious.

Alex and I love each other, there's no doubt about that. Whenever I picture my future, he's right there beside me. I don't think I could ever imagine a better father for my children. He's sweet, smart, caring, and so many other wonderful things. The list would go on forever!

Alex places a gentle kiss against my neck as we sit together on my bed. It's kind of weird being in my old bedroom together. I remember all the nights we would have conversations using paper airplanes that flew from my window to his and back again. Some of those conversations were the best I've ever had.

"I love you," I tell him as I lean into his chest.

"I love you, too." He tells me, placing another soft kiss against the skin of my neck. He really is a wonderful kisser. This is one of those times when I find myself wondering what it would be like to be . . . intimate with Alex.

"What are you thinking about?" Alex asks me. Instantly, I feel my face go hot and I can only imagine how red it is. Just the thought of telling him what I was thinking about is utterly embarrassing!

"Nothing," I lie even though I know I am a terrible liar. Alex just responds by kissing the back of my head. I lean back into his chest even more and then tilt my head so I can just barely brush his lips with mine. He then shifts us a bit so that he can give me a full-on kiss. My hand goes up to caress his cheek as he keep me tightly wrapped in his strong arms.

Our kisses always leave me completely light headed, this one is no different. There's just something about being so close to Alexander Abernathy that just turns me into jelly. I move my hands up into his hair. I really do love his curly, reddish-brown hair. I hope that our kids will inherit that trait from him. It's just so damn cute!

Using my hands that are tangled in his hair, I pull him closer to me, if that's even possible. Our bodies are pressed up against each other so tightly, his arms holding up together. He slips his tongue into my mouth and deepens our kiss. I can't help the involuntary moan that escapes from me.

We shift again. This time I end up lying down, Alex hovering over me. We never even broke our kiss. I can feel his hands begin exploring my body. I feel my skin flush with heat as his fingers trail over it. Oh, the things this man can do to me!

"What the hell is going on here?" Alex and I both spring apart as if someone has dumped ice cold water over us. The blood leaves my face as I realize who has interrupted us. It is none other than my very own father. His eyes move awkwardly from me, to Alex, and then back to me before he practically runs out of the room.

"Oh God, he's going to kill me." Alex says, pure horror filling his voice.

"No, he won't." I tell him.

"Oh, yes, he will. I have to get out of here before he comes back with a steak knife." Alex says, getting up and looking around for a way that he won't have to face my father on his way out. "I love you," He tells me before he opens my window and starts climbing down.

"You're going to kill yourself!" I exclaim as I watch him climb down unsteadily. He looks up at me just as he loses his footing and slams down into the frozen ground, hard. I cringe as I hear the _smack! _

"I'm okay," He calls to me. From the sound of his voice, he definitely got the wind knocked out of him.

I shut my window and then turn to find my dad standing at my door. Great, this is going to be incredibly awkward. Someone just kill me! Please?

"We need to talk about what was just happening," Dad tells me very seriously.

"Mom, help!" I call to her when I see mom in the hallway.

"What's going on?" Mom asks as she comes into my room.

"Our daughter was just about to have sex," Dad says and I mentally cringe. I really do not want to be having this conversation, especially not with my dad. Mom looks over at me, questioning in her eyes.

"We were just making out. We haven't been alone all day." I tell her.

"Well, obviously you shouldn't be alone with him!" Dad exclaims. Does he really have to freak out like this?

"Peeta, calm down," Mom says to dad.

"Calm down? How do expect me to calm down when I walked in on my baby girl about to . . . to . . ." Dad can't even finish his sentence. His face is red, whether from anger or embarrassment I do not know.

"We weren't going to have sex!" I exclaim. "We were just kissing! But, if we were going to have sex, I sure as hell don't need _your _permission to do it! I'm an adult and I can make my own damn decisions!" I exclaim, breathing hard once I have finished.

"Ivy Sky Mellark that is no way to talk to your father!" Mom chastises me. "We love you and we are just concerned about your wellbeing. I know you and Alex love each other, but sex is a big step in a relationship."

"I'm not a child," I tell her, looking at the ground.

"I know you aren't a child. Peeta, can you leave us alone for a moment?" Mom asks dad. He looks disgruntled about it, but leaves anyway. Mom takes a seat on my bed and motions for me to join her.

"Sweetheart, I know you love Alex and I can understand that you would want to move your relationship on to the next level. I understand all that. I just want you to know that you only get one first time. It's something that should be special and it should be shared with someone you truly love. When you and Alex do decide to take that next step, be smart about it. You are both young and have your wholes lives ahead of you. You need to do some living before you have kids." Mom tells me.

"I know, I know. We really weren't going to do anything. We both agreed to wait a bit longer. I just know that I want it to be with him. I love him and I know that we'll be married someday." I respond.

"You both remind me a lot of your father and me, after the Rebellion." Mom tells me. "We were both so in love but we weren't quite ready for marriage or a family. We needed to do some healing before that."

"I love you, mom." I tell her, silently thanking her for this talk. I guess I kind of needed it.

"I love you, too, kiddo." She tells me as she gets up and leaves. I lie back onto my head and let out a sigh. I do not want to repeat that conversation any time soon.

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**Awkward enough for you? I mean, is there anything more awkward than your father walking on you in *that* situation? Not that I have any experience with it LOL Just imagining it is awkward enough for me. So, let me know what you thought it your reviews! Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, Everyone! Last ****chapter for tonight! But more to come tomorrow! Read on, my readers, read on!**

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Chapter Six

Alexander Abernathy's POV

I am sitting at my old desk, still reeling from Peeta catching Ivy and me in a . . . compromising position, when I hear my door open. I turn around and see my dad.

"What's up?" I ask him.

"Peeta just freaked out at me. He told me I needed to talk to my son about sex." Dad tells me, obviously stifling back his laughter. I lean my head back and let out a frustrated sigh; great, just great.

"Son, he told me he caught you guys just about to . . . well . . . you know," Dad tells me.

"We were just kissing! We just wanted a few minutes alone!" I exclaim in frustration.

"Hey, I get it. I completely understand." Dad says. "But, I do want to make sure you guys are . . . careful."

"Oh, god, you're going to give me more condoms aren't you." I groan as the thought of when he tried to give me a condom on prom night enters my mind.

"I'm just trying to look out for you. I know what it can be like getting caught up in the heat of the moment. Trust me, kiddo, it's nice to have some protection already with you." I groan again. I really do not want to hear about my dad's . . . sexcapades.

"Dad, please stop. I promise you, Ivy and I are not having sex. We just got a little bit carried away." I beg.

"What are you going to do when you get a lot carried away? It only takes on time and you're both parents, responsible for someone's life for the rest of your life." He tells me. I sigh in defeat. I know he's right.

"Well, I guess we should get it over with then." I sigh.

"Grab your coat," He tells me.

"What? Why?" I ask him.

"We're going to the store," He tells me. Oh, god . . . no . . .

Ten minutes later, my father and I are standing in the family planning aisle in the local drug store. I am silently praying that no one I know comes in here. That's the last thing I need right now, someone to walk by and see me buying condoms with my father. I shift from one foot to the other as dad explains to me about all the different types of condoms. I mean, really, who the hell cares? Dad finally finishes and I just grab a random box, really not caring at all about the contents. I just want to get the hell out of here! I awkwardly pay for them. Thankfully, dad was gracious enough to go wait outside while I did so.

Back at home, I go straight up to my room and lie face down on my bed. Could this night get any worse? Between Peeta walking in on me and Ivy and buying freaking condoms with my dad, this has to be the worst night of my life.

Haymitch Abernathy's POV

"What was that all about?" Effie asks me, referring to our twenty-one year old son stomping up to his room.

"Oh, he's just a little embarrassed and frustrated." I tell her with a chuckle.

"Why is he embarrassed and frustrated?" She asks me, her eyes growing concerned. I have her sit down on the couch with me before I tell her.

"Well, it would seem that Peeta walked in on Alex and Ivy in a very compromising position," I begin.

"What do you mean by 'compromising position'?" She asks me and I chuckle.

"They we're . . . well, Peeta thought that they were going to have sex." I tell her.

"Oh, I see. So he is embarrassed about that,"

"Well, he's embarrassed about that and the fact that I just took him condom shopping." I say.

"You did what?" Effie asks me, her eyes growing the size of saucers.

"I wanted to make sure he was ready, just in case." I explain to her.

"They are too young to be having sex," She says.

"They're older than I was," I tell her. Effie swallows and I instantly regret saying that. I am also a bit curious. "How old were you?" I inquire. She mumbles something that I don't quite catch in response.

"What?" I ask.

"Twenty-four," She says, her cheeks turning pink, obviously embarrassed.

"See, only three years older than they are," I say.

"They are still too young. They have their whole lives ahead of them." Effie replies.

"Hey, I feel the same way." I agree.

"I can't believe our son is thinking about having sex. I feel old," Effie whines.

"We are old, Princess." I chuckle, leaning back into the couch and wrapping my arm around her.

"Speak for yourself." Effie says. "I'm still five years younger than you are," She tells me.

"I've always like my women younger," I tease and she slaps my arm.

"We should go to bed. I do believe we are doing some sort of family activity tomorrow." Effie says as she grabs my arm and starts heading upstairs.

"I just thought of something," I say as we are lying in bed.

"What?" Effie asks me.

"We could be grandparents sometime in the next five years," I state, my own eyes growing wide as I say the words.

"I think having grandchildren will be lovely," Effie says as she snuggles into my side.

"It'd be nice to have little kids around again," I admit. "I kind of miss having babies around. I had so much fun babysitting Ivy and Phoenix,"

"I always knew you were good with children," Effie murmurs into my chest.

"Hey, you were good with the little devils, too." I tell her.

"Oh, yes, Phoenix just loved peeing on me," Effie jokes, the humor quite evident in her voice. I laugh out loud at the memory of baby Phoenix peeing on Effie when we babysat them together almost twenty-two years ago.

It's hard to believe that it was that long ago. It feels like it was just yesterday. I guess it's true that time moves faster the older you get. It would be nice if you could just stop time and enjoy the moments longer than you actually get to. As I lay here with my wife I can't help but wish that time would slow down. You only get so much time with the people you love.

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**Okay, I have to confess. I kind of stole the idea of Haymitch teaching someone to buy condoms from Sammy'sPeetaBread's "The Conception of Awkward" you should all go read it so I feel less guilty! Haha. I hope you enjoyed this. I know it got boring at the end . . . sorry bout that! The next few chapters should be interesting, I hope! Thanks for reading and please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, Everyone! This here chapter kind of focuses on someone we haven't really spent a whole lot of time with in this story or in the last few. He's always been kind of on the outside of the stories. I think that maybe in this story he'll have some . . . drama of his own. So, go ahead, Read on!  
**

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Chapter Seven

Finn Mellark's POV

My childhood home is once again filled with as much family as it can accommodate. The Christmas season always leads to the Mellark home being filled to capacity. Annie Cresta, well, really Annie Odair, is here. Her late husband, Finnick Odair, is my namesake. I'll never forget the stories I've been told about his love and bravery. I am proud to have Finnick Odair as my namesake.

Unfortunately, Kyle, Annie's son, couldn't come for the holidays. His wife, Rose, is in the third trimester of her pregnancy and it wouldn't be safe for her or the baby if she were to travel so late in her pregnancy. That, of course, doesn't stop Annie from sharing with us all the ultrasound photos and the sketchbook that she's been putting together during Rose's pregnancy.

Kyle and I have been pretty good buddies since I was just a few months old. Some of my favorite pictures of when I was little are the ones where he and I are playing on the beach together. He's been someone I could always look up to when I was growing up. Not that I didn't have awesome role models here in District 12, because I did. I had the best role models growing up. There was just something about Kyle that made me feel like I could trust him with anything. Plus, we're both avid swimmers and runners.

"Alright everyone, it's time to open presents!" Mom exclaims. I just chuckle. Over the years, mom's enthusiasm for Christmas hasn't faded a bit. Well, it's more enthusiasm for us – the kids – to have a good Christmas than for the actual holiday itself. The presents are passed out and then we start opening them in alphabetical order. It's a system we've been using for about ten years and it really does seem to work well.

I sit back and watch as everyone enthusiastically asks what each person has received. This is something I want forever – a family that can laugh and be obnoxious and where everyone's happiness is everyone's business. What more could anyone ask for out of life than a happy family? Family really is the most important thing in the world when you really think about it. At the end of the day, your family is always there for you.

The presents, like every year, are just amazing. It's nice that our families don't really have to worry about money. Each family has its own steady income from whatever profession they are working in. My dad and Effie both work at the bakery. Mom hunts and sells furs and game in the market. Haymitch makes a lot of money auctioning off the custom cars he restores; sometimes he even does special orders for people. Aunt Johanna and Uncle Nash started up their own tree nursery and tree trimming company when they moved out here. Uncle Gale is one of the District 12 representatives on the Council of Peace.

That's another thing that has changed in Panem in the last few years. After the assassination of Desmond Remington, and his deceitful son, Panem took a hard look at their government. It took many, many months, but Panem was restored into a Republic where the power lies with the government but the people still get a vote and have rights. For the last few years, it has been working out well. There haven't been any major hiccups.

After all the presents are opened, all the parents decide, for some odd reason, to take out the old photo albums. All of the kids, really not wanting to be here while the parents gush over and inevitably embarrass us, head out for a snowball fight.

Winters in District 12 are pretty perfect. The snow is always packy so it's great for snowball fights and snowman building. We divide into two teams and then quickly build our forts before starting our fight.

In most families, there's a lot of sibling rivalry and drama. Our family has never really had that. I guess we were too busy having fun or taking down evil dictators, one or the other.

After our snowball fight, we all head back into the house to dry off and get warm. Mom makes us take off our soaked clothes in the kitchen and then she hands us all cups of hot chocolate with little marshmallows in it. She even throws our clothes in the drier for us. What a great mom!

Dad says we have about an hour before dinner will be ready so Ash grabs his guitar and Lilac sits down at our grand piano. The house is soon filled with the beautiful, and some not so beautiful, voices of our family joining together in some of the most popular Christmas carols. My personal favorite is "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer".

The Christmas cheer in the Mellark home is obvious to anyone who would walk by. There isn't a face in the house that doesn't have a smile plastered on it. There is just something about being together that makes this family smile. It's true that you don't have to be blood related to be family. Family is who was, and is always, there for you when you need them most. That's what really counts.

Dad calls to us that dinner is ready and we are all soon crowded around the dining room table that I grew up with. Dinner, as usual, is amazing. My dad really is the best cook in all of Panem and Aunt Effie is a pretty close second.

You see, we used to call Haymitch and Effie grandpa and grandma, but we decided it was kind of awkward since Alex and Ivy are dating each other. Not that Uncle and Aunt are all that much better. This family is just all jumbled up I guess.

"I would like to make a toast," Uncle Haymitch states, holding up his glass of apple juice. "To the kids, for being the wonderful children that you were and turning into even better adults, you all grew up too fast." He says. All the parents readily agree with his statement while all of us kids kind of grumble about how it took forever for those first eighteen years to finally pass.

I lean back in my chair and just observe the people around me for a moment. Dad has mom. Uncle Haymitch has Aunt Effie. Uncle Nash has Aunt Johanna. Alex has my sister, Ivy. Phoenix has Harper. Liam and Ash both have Lilac, in whatever strange love triangle their all caught up in at the moment.

Really, the only single guy is Uncle Gale and, well, he always seems . . . lonely. I mean, I know he loves this family and everything, but he always just seems lonely. I don't want to end up like him. I want to find that person that I can be with for the rest of my life. I want a romance like my parents'. I want a little family of my own someday.

I've always acted the part of the "player", I guess. I've never been in a very serious relationship with a girl before. I spent most of my time in high school playing sports. Sports were my love back then. I still love sports. They're the reason I got a free ride to Panem University because of them.

I don't know. I guess just seeing everyone in family that has someone to love . . . Well; I guess it's just putting me into one of those moods. Really, I still haven't found a girl that has made me want to drop whatever I'm doing and follow her to the edge of the earth. I guess that's what I'm waiting for.

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**I do love Finn. I don't think I make that evident enough to you guys. I'm hoping to change that in this story! Maybe a girl will enter the picture that will knock Finn's socks off! But will she reciprocate his feelings? I guess we'll have to wait and find out later! Thanks for reading and please leave me a review on your way out!**

**P.S. Kyle's wife is named after a certain fan that kind of made an impression on me during "It Must Run in the Family". You know who you are!  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, Everyone! This chapter kind of focuses on Lilac. Don****'t worry, we'll be getting back to Alex and Ivy again soon. But, I think some of you will like this chapters while I'm sure others of you will not. ;) Read on and find out what I'm talking about!**

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Chapter Eight

Lilac Mellark's POV

_*Four Days Later_

"Hey, you," I say as I pop my head into the studio that my Aunt Johanna and Uncle Nash set up in their basement for their son, Ash.

"Hey," Ash greets me, a smile gracing his face. I really do love that smile!

"So, do you remember when you promised to sing me the song you composed for class?" I ask him as I walk into his studio.

"Ah . . . yeah," He answers, his cheeks flushing as he looks down at the ground.

"Well, I still haven't heard it," I tell him, taking a seat on one of the several stools in the room.

"It really isn't all that good," He says, still looking at the ground.

"I don't care. You wrote a song and I want to hear it. You promised me you'd let me hear it." I persist.

"Alright, it's called 'Grey Eyes'." He tells me as he grabs his acoustic guitar. He takes a minute to tune it before he starts strumming a medium paced tempo.

"There's always a girl that you wish could be your pearl. There's always one that leaves you in a hazy stun." He begins his voice as smooth and sweet as honey. I can't help but smile at his lyrics. He really is a good musician. "There's a girl back home and she's got those grey eyes. Those grey eyes, as fierce as a lightning storm. Those grey eyes, as soft as a Sunday morn. Those grey eyes that let me know, I'm home." I swallow as I hear his refrain for the first time. I . . . I have grey eyes . . .

"There's always that moment, when your heart's ripped up in torment. It's when you realize, you shouldn't have told her all those lies." Ash's eyes stay on his own fingers as he strums on the guitar.

"There's a girl back home and she's got those grey eyes. Those grey eyes, as fierce as a lightning storm. Those grey eyes, as soft as a Sunday morn. Those grey eyes that let me know, I'm home." My heart leaps into my throat as I hear his refrain again. He couldn't mean me . . . could he?

"There's always one day, when you finally look up and say . . ." He finally looks up at me as he holds out that note. His forest green eyes lock with mine. There is so much emotion in them that I don't know what think. ". . . Everything you've kept inside; when you finally ask her 'will you be mine?'" My mouth falls open in shock. This can't really be happening. I must still be asleep . . .

"There's a girl back home and she's got those grey eyes. Those grey eyes, as fierce as a lightning storm. Those grey eyes, as soft as a Sunday morn. Those grey eyes that let me know, I'm home. There's a girl back home . . . and she's got those grey eyes; those grey eyes, grey eyes." Ash strums the last note on his guitar and looks back up at me.

I am . . . speechless, completely speechless. How am I supposed to respond to that? How was I supposed to know that the song he had written was a love song about ME?

"I told you it was pretty bad," Ash says as he gets up from his stool. He starts bustling around the studio, avoiding eye contact with me.

"No! It wasn't bad at all! It was . . . it was actually pretty good. Ash, really, it was." I tell him, laying my hand on his arm. He glances up at me. I can see the fear mixed with hope in his beautiful green eyes. It breaks my heart to see that in his eyes, his eyes that are usually so whimsical and bright. The quirky grin that is usually on his face has fallen and his lips are turned downward in a small frown.

"Ash . . . I . . ." I stumble for the right words. What am I supposed to say to him?

"Don't worry about it, it's fine," He tells me as he brushes past me and heads up the stairs. I follow him, half jogging up the stairs to keep up with his long strides.

"Ash, please wait!" I call after him. He keeps going until we are both in his backyard. He is facing the woods that lie behind all of our houses.

"Ash, I didn't know that you . . . still felt that way about me," I tell him. For a moment, the memory of the kiss we shared at my sixteenth birthday party floats through my mind. Oh, it had felt nice to have his lips pressed up against mine.

"You were with Liam. I understand." Ash replies, still facing the woods. His voice holds so much emotion that I can feel my heart leap into my throat once again.

"We _were _together," I tell him, emphasizing the past tense of mine and Liam's relationship.

"I couldn't betray him like that," Ash says.

"Ash, you -" I begin, but he cuts me off.

"No. Lilac, he's my best friend . . . I couldn't do that to him." He tells me.

"Ash, our break up was mutual. We no longer felt the same way about each other. You wouldn't be betraying him." I try to assure him.

"Do you want to?" He asks me. "Do you want to be in a relationship with me?" I feel my heart stop. For so long . . . I've wondered what it would be like to be Ash Hemlock's girlfriend.

"I would like that," I tell him, my voice wavering from anxiety. Finally, he turns to me. His eyes search mine, looking for any doubt that I am being truthful. He finds none. I am absolutely positive that I would like to be in a relationship with him. There would be no luckier girl than I in all of Panem.

Finally, his frown cracks into a smile. He crosses the small expanse of grass that is between us and pulls me into his arms.

"I've waited so long for this," He tells me right before he presses his lips tenderly against mine. I can feel him smiling into our kiss and I can't help that my own lips turn up in a smile as I wrap my arms around his neck. My fingers play with the blonde hair at the nape of his neck. It's soft, just as I always imagined it would be. His arms tighten around my body and we are pulled even closer together. I can feel his heart beating against my own chest. It is beating so fast, like a hummingbird's wings. Eventually, our lack of oxygen forces us to break apart. We lean our foreheads against one another's, huge grins on our faces. Our chests are heaving and there is a thin layer of sweat on our skin.

"You're gorgeous," He murmurs against my lips as he kisses me once again.

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**So, yay or nay? What do you guys think of Ash and Lilac as a couple? I'm sorry the song totally sucked. I'm a story writer, not a songwriter. But, I wanted to write something instead of just being all "Oh, it's a beautiful song!" I thought you guys deserved an actual song. Alright, well, tell me what you think and, as always, thanks so much for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey, Everyone! Another chapter! Whoo! Well, there's some Ivy and Alex in this chapter, it mainly centers around Alex! :D So, Read on!  
**

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Chapter Nine

Ivy Mellark's POV

_*Two Days Later*_

"Are you ready?" I hear Alex ask me. I turn around to find him leaning against the door frame of my bedroom, looking very sexy in his black, button down shirt and dark blue jeans.

"I am," I tell him as I grab my purse. I grab his hand as we walk downstairs together. It's New Year's Eve and Phoenix, Harper, Alex, and I are all going out to the local bar in town to have a little bit of fun tonight. Phoenix and Harper are already waiting downstairs and, after mom telling us to be careful a dozen times, we head to the car. We decided to take Alex's black Mercedes-Benz. Partying in style!

The drive is only a few minutes and, in no time, Alex is parking the Mercedes-Benz outside of the bar. As it would seem, the party has already started. The bar seems to be packed and we can already hear the music blaring from outside.

We all head into the bar and are met with the music blaring even louder than I expected and a lot more people than I thought would be in here. Phoenix, Harper, Alex, and I find an empty booth in the bar and we all take a seat.

"I love the way you look tonight," Alex tells me, his lips pressed up close to my ear so that I can hear him. I can feel my blush move across my face. Tonight, I decided to wear a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a purple halter top that I borrowed from Lilac, and a diamond necklace mom gave me on my twenty-first birthday.

"You don't look too bad yourself," I reply, gently kissing the spot right beneath his ear. He tilts his head and captures my lips in one of his breathtaking kisses. Well, really, all of his kisses are breathtaking. His fingers tangle into my hair and he pulls me closer to him. He tastes so sweet and I can feel his lips turning upwards into a smile as our kiss continues. There really is no better feeling in the world than his lips against mine.

"Hey, you do know we're sitting right here, right?" I hear Phoenix ask teasingly with a chuckle. I break the kiss and then turn to my throw a handful of peanuts at my twin brother.

"Hey, that's no way to treat your older brother!" Phoenix teasingly chastises me. After a few more minutes of conversation, Phoenix and Alex decide to head up to the bar to see if they could get us all some sodas.

"So, you and Alex seem to be getting pretty serious." Harper says as she scoots over to me in the U shaped booth we're sitting in.

"We love each other; we're just waiting to get out of school." I tell her, a smile creeping onto my face at just the thought of Alex and me together. "What about you and my brother? Are there any wedding bells ringing in the air yet?" I ask.

"I guess you could say we're in love, too. He's just so easy to talk to and I just love how he's so in touch with his emotions. That's really hard to find in a guy." Harper tells me and I wholeheartedly agree. If there is any man on the face of the earth more in touch with his feelings than my brother, well, I'd be really surprised.

"Hey, ladies," Phoenix says as he comes back with four glasses.

"Where's Alex?" I ask him, noticing that my boyfriend is nowhere in sight.

"Oh, he ran into a buddy from the high school. They're just chatting over by the bar." Phoenix tells me as he scoots into the booth and places a kiss on Harper's cheek. They really are kind of cute together. After a good five minutes, I decide to go and see what Alex and this old friend are up to.

When I find them, the sight I am presented with is quite surprising. Alex is sitting with his old friend, and a few others, and he is obviously drunk. My eyebrows shoot up as Alex does another round of shots with the group. Oh, this is so not good.

"Ivy!" Alex exclaims when I go up to him.

"Hi," I say, further observing the scene. It looks like he's done about six or seven shots of God only knows what kind of foul alcoholic substance.

"Babe, you so gotta try one of these!" Alex shouts at me, offering me a shot glass.

"No, I'm good. And, I think you've had enough." I tell him as I take the shot glass from him and place it back on the bar.

"Oh . . . but we just got here!" He bellows.

"Yes, well, it seems that you are already very drunk. How that happened in such a short amount of time, I do not know." I tell him as I wrap his arm around my shoulders so he doesn't fall over in his drunken stupor.

"We're leaving. Here are his keys. We'll walk home." I tell Phoenix and Harper before I escort Alexander out of the bar.

"You're pretty," Alex tells me as we walk home, my arm still wrapped around him to keep him from falling over anywhere.

"Thank you," I reply, trying to keep the annoyance I am feeling from becoming evident. Not that he would be able to notice in his current state.

I get him home and start sneaking him up the stairs. Thank God Haymitch and Effie go to bed early these days! The last thing I need right now is for Haymitch to see his own son completely drunk.

I lay Alex down into bed and then pull off his shoes and his shirt. I kiss him gently on the cheek before sneaking out of his room, careful to close the door quietly. I turn to leave and almost jump out of my shoes when I see Haymitch standing there in dark hallway.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." He apologizes, starting curiously at Alex's bedroom door.

"It's fine," I tell him, putting on a fake smile.

"He's drunk, isn't he?" Haymitch surprises me with his question. I find it best to be honest and nod. Haymitch sighs before responding.

"Thanks for getting him home safely," He says, patting me on the back. I leave the Abernathy house more confused than when I entered it.

Alexander Abernathy's POV

I cringe as the sunlight manages to somehow find its way between my eyelids. I have the mother of all headaches. Why does my head hurt so much? I decide to open my eyes and instantly regret that decision. Oh, the sunlight burns! After a few minutes, I manage to sit up and just barely crack my eyes open. I don't remember coming home last night or taking my shoes and shirt off. This cannot be good . . .

"Oh, good, you're awake," I hear dad say, well, it feels more like he shouted it at me.

"Wh-What happened?" I ask, rubbing my forehead.

"Well, son, you got drunk last night." He tells me. Huh?

"What?" I ask again, realizing how stupid I must sound right now.

"You must have had something, well, a lot of something, to drink last night. Ivy brought you home." He informs me. Oh . . .

"Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I just ran into an old friend and, before I knew it, I was downing like four shots in a row." I apologize, even though I don't think it'll mean much.

"Don't worry about it, son. Everyone makes little mistakes. I didn't expect you to never drink." He tells me.

"Thanks. Um . . . is there something I could take for this headache?" I ask, opening my eyes just a bit more to look at my dad. He just chuckles before leaving to; hopefully, get me something for this damned headache.

* * *

**Little Alexander Abernathy is experiencing his first ever hangover! Oh, the joys! Haha, well, what'd you think? I know, I know, not a whole lot of drama so far but I promise you it's coming. Trust me, after you read everything I have in store for these characters, well, I might be receiving some hate. Haha, oh well! Thanks for reading and I do love your reviews! So, review! :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, Everybody! So, it would seem that our characters are all now back to school after a very . . . interesting break at home! Let's see what happens when they're all back at school! Please, I insist, Read on!  
**

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Chapter Ten

Ivy Mellark's POV

_*Two Weeks Later*_

I let out a long sigh after I finally finish my anatomy and physiology paper. We had each been assigned a different body system to write our paper on. I had gotten the digestive system. I had really been pulling for the respiratory or muscular-skeletal system. Oh, well, I guess you take what you get.

I straighten myself up. Four hours straight, hunched over a laptop, can really do a number on your lower back muscles. After stretching for a few minutes, I grab my coat and head to the diner. Phoenix and I are meeting tonight for dinner. We usually try to meet up and do something, just the two of us, at least once a week. It's nice to have alone time with my twin brother.

"Hey," I greet as I slide into the seat across from my brother.

"Hey," He replies. "You look exhausted," He tells me.

"Oh, I just spent four hours working on a paper for my anatomy and physiology class. I am pretty tired," I answer him with a light laugh as I open up the menu. Really, I come here so often I know everything that's on their menu, but I still look every time I come. It's kind of funny actually.

"Ivy, I really hope you aren't working yourself too hard. I know you want to keep your grades up, but too much stress can be bad for your health." Phoenix says.

"Don't worry. Alex makes sure I don't work too hard. We make sure we spend a few hours a day doing something not school related." I reassure him.

"So, you guys spend a few hours a day making out?" Phoenix asks me, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Maybe," I reply with a grin of my own. "I still can't believe dad walked in on us over break," I say with a shake of my head, remembering how awful that moment had been.

"Well, there must have been a curse or something that week because dad found Harper and me making out in the car the night before we had to come back to school." Phoenix tells me.

"How did he react?" I ask him, taking a sip of the lemonade the waitress just handed me.

"Oh, well, he was kind of awkward, but he just walked away." Phoenix tells me, sipping at his grape juice.

"You mean he didn't totally freak out at you?" I ask him in disbelief.

"Nope," He tells me. "I guess he just saved it for you," Well, that was totally unfair! Phoenix changes the subject and we end up laughing about how our sister, Lilac, finally ended up with Ash. We all kind of knew it was bound to happen. I guess it was later rather than sooner. After an hour and a half, we both head off on our own; he to his art studio, me to Alex's dorm room.

"Hey," Alex says, greeting me with a kiss, as he answers the door.

"Hey," I reply once he has released me lips. We move into the common room to find Ethan and Faith playing some violent video game. We both roll our eyes and head into his bedroom.

"They are the strangest couple I've ever seen in my entire life," I say as I sit on Alex's bed.

"That's definitely true," He agrees as he sits beside me.

"So, how was your day?" I ask him, kissing his shoulder.

"Pretty good," He replies. "I made a lot of headway on my project today. That was nice."

"That's good," I say, leaning my head on his shoulder.

"What about you?" He asks me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and playing with a lock of my hair.

"I spent four hours writing a paper for one of my classes," I sigh.

"Are you okay? You look like you need to relax." Alex replies.

"I guess I am a little bit stressed out," I admit. "I know something that will help relieve my stress." I tell him.

"What's that?" He asks me and I answer him by pressing my lips to his. I feel him smiling into our kiss and I tangle my fingers into his hair. He leans back and eventually ends up lying down on his bed, me on top of him. My hands go his chest, feeling the strength of his pectoral muscles. He moans into my mouth and his fingers go to my hair.

My tongue whisks across his bottom lip a few times before Alex parts his lips and allows me to slip my tongue into his mouth. I press myself tighter up against him, deepening our kiss. My hands travel lower until they reach the hem of his shirt. I tug on it lightly, hoping he gets my message.

"Ivy . . . Ivy . . . stop," He gasps, lightly pushing on my shoulders so our kiss is broken.

"What's wrong?" I ask him, trying hard not to feel rejected. I know he isn't rejecting me.

"We need to stop. We're not ready for this." He tells me.

"Why does everyone think we aren't ready for sex?" I ask him, getting up from bed and pacing in his room.

"Ivy . . ." Alex begins but I stop him.

"We love each other, right? You love me?" I ask him, looking him square in the eyes.

"Of course I love you. You mean everything to me," He tells me.

"Then why can't we go ahead and move our relationship to the next level?" I ask him, half shouting.

"Because we're not in the right spot in our lives," He tells me, getting up from his bed. "Your first time is supposed to be special! A quickie in my college dorm room while our roommates are in the next room playing a video game isn't special!"

"It would be special because it would be us!" I retort, trying to keep my voice down.

"Ivy, we're just not ready," He repeats. God, I hate that phrase!

"I'm ready!" I shout at him.

"Well, I'm not!" He shouts back at me. We stare at each other, both of us breathing heavily. After a few minutes, Alex breaks the silence. "Obviously, we're both at different stages in our lives. Maybe . . . maybe . . ."

"Maybe what?" I shout in frustration.

"Maybe we need to take a break," He tells me, swallowing hard.

"Fine," I tell him, feeling like I've just been kicked in the stomach. I grab my coat and my bag and storm out of his dorm room.

I exit the dorm building and start heading towards mine. The campus is dark, the only light coming from the street lamps placed every twenty feet. I've never walked home by myself before. Alex always said it was too dangerous for a girl to be alone in the Capitol at night. Well, he's not my boyfriend anymore so he can't be concerned about me!

I can't believe his nerve! Telling me what I'm ready and not ready for! He's not me; he doesn't know what I can handle and what I can't! I bump into a street sign and my bag drops to the ground. I let out a long sigh when I see its contents splay themselves onto the sidewalk below. I bend over and pick my belongings up. I am just zipping up my bag when someone grabs me from behind. I am about to scream for help when my assailant forces some sort of cloth bag over my head, successfully muffling my calls for help. I struggle against him, kicking and thrashing around. I feel a sharp poke in my neck and then everything goes blank.

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**Well, this can't end well, now can it? Any ideas about who her assailant is? Could it be . . . Blake *collective gasp* come back from the dead? Hmmmm I wonder, I wonder Indeed. I guess we'll have to find out in coming chapters! Thanks for reading and leave me review! (even if it is just to yell at me for my evil ways) **


	11. Chapter 11

**H****ey, Everyone! I hope this update was fast enough for you! Let's find out what the heck is going on, shall we? Read on!**

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Chapter Eleven

Alexander Abernathy's POV

I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. I've been staring through my microscope for almost three hours now. I've been trying to throw myself head first into my work for the last day, trying to numb the pain of mine and Ivy's break up. I hadn't seen her since that night. I can only conclude that she is avoiding me at all costs.

"Hey, Boy Wonder, have you seen Ivy?" Faith, Ivy's roommate, asks me as she barges into my laboratory.

"Not since Tuesday night. Have you checked her lab?" I ask her.

"Yeah, she wasn't there. I haven't seen her since she ran out on you on Tuesday." She tells me. What?

"What do you mean you haven't seen her since Tuesday?" I ask her, suddenly afraid that something bad may have happened.

"I said what I meant. I haven't seen her, not at class, not on campus, not at our room, nowhere." Faith tells me.

"That's . . . something must be wrong," I conclude. I get up from the table I have been sitting at and grab my cellphone.

"Hello?" My dad answers.

"Dad, Ivy wouldn't have happened to show up there, did she?" I ask him.

"Not that I know of," He tells me. "And I was just over at Katniss and Peeta's. Son, what's wrong?"

"We had a fight and broke up. I haven't seen her since. Neither has her roommate." I tell him. "I'm worried."

"Alright, well, call the police and see if they've heard anything. I'll be on the next train out to the Capitol." He instructs me before we hang up.

"We should go report this to the campus police." I tell Faith and we both head to the campus police station. After giving them a description of Ivy, along with some other information, and being assured that they will contact us immediately if they learn anything, we head back to Faith and Ivy's dorm.

A few hours later, we hear a knock on the door. Faith answers it and it is my parents, Ivy's parents, Uncle Nash, Aunt Johanna, and Uncle Gale.

"Have you guys gotten any news?" Katniss asks. She looks absolutely terrified right now. Who wouldn't be terrified when their daughter could possibly be dead?

"Not yet," I answer, looking down at my feet. Dad comes over and sits next to me on the futon.

"Don't beat yourself up." He tells me, resting a hand on my shoulder. I look up at him.

"How can I not beat myself up? If I had gone after her, well, she would be safe right now! Instead of her being her, safe, she's God knows where in God only knows what condition!" I tell him.

"Alex, sweetheart, this is not your fault." Aunt Katniss tells me as she sits on my other side. "We're going to find her, no matter what."

"What if we don't find her in time?" I ask my blue-grey eyes locking with Katniss' Seam grey eyes.

"Let's not think like that," She tells me, patting my knee. I am about to object when my phone begins ringing.

"Hello?" I answer.

"Mr. Abernathy, I need you to go to the computer science wing immediately." An officer tells me.

"Why?" I ask him, totally confused as to why I have to go to the computer science wing.

"Please, just do it." The officer tells me before abruptly hanging up.

"Um . . . I guess we have to go to the computer science wing," I say and we all start heading that way.

When we get there, there is a whole swarm of cops in one of the rooms. We all head in there and are immediately noticed.

"Alexander Abernathy?" An officer asks me and I nod. "I am assuming this is Ivy Mellark's family?" He asks, pointing to the whole host of people behind me. Again, I nod. "Well, we've found her . . . sort of."

"How the hell do you 'sort of' find someone?" I ask him; peeved at his . . . I don't even know. The officer nods to someone who is sitting behind a computer. He adjusts our attention to the screen on the far wall of the room. In a few seconds, an image of Ivy, gagged and bound to a chair, in a dark, dirty room comes onto the screen. I feel my heart break at this sight.

"This is live feed from where ever she is being held." The officer tells me.

"Can't you figure out where she is with all your police technological gadget stuff?" I ask him, my heart thumping hard against my chest.

"The IP address is constantly changing. It's not the same long enough for us to figure out what computer is streaming us this live footage." The officer tells me. I just turn back to the screen. It looks like Ivy is unconscious, though I can't tell if it's from a blow to the head or from drugs she's been given.

"Has anyone else showed up on the screen?" Haymitch asks the officer.

"Not yet. That's what we're waiting for." The officer answers.

I still cannot take my eyes off of the screen. Why did this have to happen to her? She's never done anything wrong to anyone. She's the kind of girl everyone loves. I . . . I just can't believe she's . . . she's where ever she is. I don't even want to know what the sick bastard that took her is going to do to her. What could he possibly want? Money? We have money that we could give him. I would do anything if it meant Ivy would be safe.

I can feel my heart constrict every time I look at her. She looks so . . . so fragile and vulnerable. I know how strong she is and how strong she usually looks. That's why I am so afraid. Her kidnapper must have given her some sort of drug. That's why she's unconscious. That has to be it.

"Hey," Dad says, squeezing my shoulder. I remain silent. "Alex, you have to understand that everyone in here is going to do everything they can to find her. We won't let the monster that took her get away with this. I promise you. I personally promise you that she will be okay."

"You shouldn't make promise you can't keep," I tell him dryly, never breaking eye contact with the screen. Dad squeezes my shoulder again before walking off. No one can know for sure that she will be okay. Sure, we'll find her. Whether or not all we're finding is a corpse, well, that has yet to be determined. The kidnapper holds the power. Whether she lives or dies is his decision.

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**Uh oh . . . What, oh, what is going to happen? Will they be able to find Ivy and save her before this mystery man kills her? Why was she kidnapped in the first place? WHO KIDNAPPED HER? Am I killing you guys yet? So many questions! So little answers! Reviews are appreciated! Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey, Everyone! I'm sure you're all thinking that it's time we saw Ivy's view of things! Well, here it is! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Twelve

Ivy Mellark's POV

I groan as my eyes flutter open. There is a huge, aching pain in my head and something foul tasting in my mouth. I try to move my hand up to rub my eyes, but I can't. Something is restraining my hands. I violently pull my arms away from me, trying to free myself. What is going on?

I stop trying to free myself for a moment and look around at my surroundings. I am in some sort of room . . . A basement maybe? It's hard to tell. There are exposed pipes throughout the room and the walls and floor are concrete. It smells like mold and the air feels damp. I must be in a basement.

Slowly, memories start to roll back into my brain. Alex and I had a fight and ended up breaking up. I was walking back to my dorm alone. My bag fell and I had to pick up all my stuff. Someone attacked me. Someone attacked me! I feel my heart rate pick up and my breathing becoming panicky. I've been kidnapped! Someone has kidnapped me. This . . . this is . . . this cannot end well. . . No . . . it can't.

I force myself to calm down. It is already hard enough to breath with this gag in my mouth. The last thing I need is to pass out from lack of oxygen. Right now, I need to find a way to unbind myself. There has to be a way.

I crane my neck to see my restraints. It looks like my hands are handcuffed together and then handcuffed to the metal chair I am sitting in. My ankles are also handcuffed together and to the chair. Maybe this is going to be harder than I thought it was going to be.

I twist and tug my wrists for a while, trying to maybe maneuver them into a better position. The only thing I achieve is several cuts on my wrists that sting whenever I move them. I sigh and slump in the chair, which is bolted to the concrete ground.

I stare up at the wooden beams in the ceiling. Where could I possibly be? Why could I possibly be here? Why me? Who? Who decided that they wanted to kidnap me and chain me to a chain in an old basement?

As some sort of magical answer to my questions, I hear a door open and then slam closed, hard. I hear footsteps coming down a staircase. There must be a staircase behind me, just out of my vision. But, yet, I still crane my neck in attempt to see my kidnapper.

Finally, he comes into view. I am slightly disappointed when I see that he is wearing some sort of hood over his face. I guess my biggest question shall remain unanswered for just a bit longer. He is wearing all black; black leather jacket, black jean pants, black boots, black leather gloves.

"Ivy Mellark," He says. His voice is obviously altered by some gadget, for it is way too gravelly and deep to be his real voice. "Girl genius, lovable girlfriend, loved sister, beloved daughter." I really have no idea why he's saying this. And, I really have no idea who this could be.

"Tell, me Ms. Mellark, how many amps of electricity a body can handle before the heart gives out," He demands. I am utterly confused by his question, though I do happen to know its answer.

"Fifty amps would kill a person," I tell him, my voice soft but unwavering. I will not show this monster that I am scared. No. I am brave. I am Ivy Mellark, hero to all of Panem for assassinating a would-be dictator.

"That is correct," He tells me. I can hear the smile in his voice. "I think an experiment should be done to test this . . . this theory," He says. I barely have a moment to be confused before there is a searing pain coursing through my body. Despite the pain, I bite back my screams. Screams are what he wants. He wants to know that he is stronger than me. I will not give him that satisfaction. Finally, after what feels like hours, the pain stops. I slump back against the chair, breathing hard. A ragged breath escapes my throat, my only outward sign of pain. I will not let him win.

Alexander Abernathy's POV

My mind is going crazy as to who this man could be. He has to be someone that Ivy and I know. Why else would he have targeted her? Obviously, it is someone we know. But, really, that doesn't narrow down the list at all. After four years on campus, we've made a lot of friends and, obviously, a few enemies as well.

I can't stop thinking about how . . . how this could have been avoided. If I had just given her wha she wanted. If I had just not told her that we should take a break. If I had just run after her, not letting her walk back to her dorm alone. I really hadn't wanted her to go. I didn't want to "take a break". I love her. I knew that for certain. I knew that she and I were meant to spend the rest of our lives together.

I had just . . . I had just been upset at the time. She was trying to rush things between us. I knew she wasn't quite ready to have sex. I knew that but, for some reason, she wanted to force herself to be ready. That wasn't how it was supposed to happen.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" Phoenix asks as he walks over to me. The room is silent. Most of the people are trying to get some sleep. The live feed was cut off about two hours ago. It really is driving me insane not knowing what's happening.

"Not too great," I tell him. "What about you? This must be killing you, too. She's your twin."

"It's hard. I keep thinking that I should have known somehow when it happened. You know what I mean?" He says.

"I know what you mean," I tell him. Lilac and Ash appear, bearing coffee and donuts. I take a coffee. I really don't have an appetite right now. How could I?

Finn and Liam come over. We all sit in a small circle, each of lost in our own, various thoughts that center on a single person. The silence is slightly maddening. I run my hands over my face and decide to get up. I can't just sit. I need to . . . I don't even know what I need to do. No. Scratch that. I know what I need to do. What I need to be doing is looking for the love of my life. There has to be something I can do that will help us find her. I start pacing, thinking. And that's when the screen comes back to life.

A man, well, I am assuming it is a man, is on the screen, as Ivy, who is now awake. She looks absolutely terrified. Her eyes are wild and I can see blood on her wrists. She must have been trying to free herself earlier.

"Ivy Mellark, Girl genius, lovable girlfriend, loved sister, beloved daughter." The man says. He is obviously using a voice modifier. "Tell, me Ms. Mellark, how many amps of electricity a body can handle before the heart gives out," Why would he want to know that?

"Fifty amps would kill a person," Ivy tells him, keeping the fear I know she is feeling out of her voice.

"That is correct. I think an experiment should be done to test this . . . this theory," Just as he finishes his sentence, I see every muscle in Ivy's body go rigid. He is electrocuting her. I feel sick to my stomach as I watch Ivy continue to writhe in pain. She is holding back her screams. She is trying to be brave. Finally, he must have turned the electricity off because Ivy slumps in her seat. She is covered in sweat and her breathing is hard and shallow. Her beautiful grey eyes are tired and afraid. _I will find you, _I silently promise her. _No matter what I have to do. _

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**Does anyone have any idea why Ivy's been kidnapped? Why would someone want to kidnap sweet Ivy? That's coming up soon so stay tuned! Please review and thanks for reading!**_  
_


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey, Everyone! I know I'm driving you a****ll nuts with this stuff. Don't worry! It will all end soon. How it ends? Well, I guess you'll have to find out later. Now, Read on!**

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Chapter Thirteen

Ivy Mellark's POV

_*Two Weeks Later*_

I swallow, or at least attempt to swallow. My throat and tongue are so dry that I feel like I could choke on my own tongue any minute. I have no idea how long I've been here. He gives me just enough food and water to make sure I don't die before he wants me to. Right now, after everything, I would welcome death.

Every hour, at least I think it's an hour, he comes back down here to continue is "experiments". He flips the switch and I spend the next five, ten, fifteen minutes wrenched in pain, gritting my teeth to keep from screaming in agony. There is no relief from his torture. Every moment he lets me live is another form of his psychotic torture.

There are times when his torture is too much for my body to handle and I slip into unconsciousness. I desire those moments more than anything. That way, I can escape this hell, at least for a small amount of time.

My kidnapper is still a mystery to me. Honestly, I have long given up caring who is behind that mask. Does it really matter? The only thing that matters is that I'm here . . . dying a slow and painful death. If only sweet death would come sooner. I would welcome it with wide open arms, like an old friend I haven't seen in years.

My body shutters. My muscles have surely turned to soup by now. I haven't changed position for . . . I don't even know how long it has been. Days, weeks, months, years, I have no way of knowing. The only thing I know is the pain, the agonizing, inevitable pain.

I hear him enter the basement, his footfalls heavy against the wooden stairway. Earlier, I would have sat up straight and show him that I am not afraid and that I am strong. Now, now I know there is no point. He will just show me that I am nothing but weak. One flip of a switch and he has me writhing in pain. I am weak.

He stops right in front of me and uses his hand to lift my chin up. He does this every time he comes down here. He is inspecting me, searching my eyes for any thread of hope to destroy. I don't know why he does it anymore. There would have to be hope inside of me for there to be hope in my eyes. We both know that there is no more hope inside of me.

He releases my chin and I let it fall to its previous position. It's amazing how hard it becomes to just simply hold you head up when you have no nourishment in your body. It's like I couldn't move my muscles if I even wanted to. They would not be able to move. There is no more strength in them.

"Tell me, Miss Mellark, about your own science experiments." He tells me.

"What?" I ask him, my voice barely above a hoarse croak. It hurts to speak.

"I know you are a scientist and I would like to hear about your experiments." He says, standing dangerously close to the switch. "Unless, of course, you'd rather . . ." He lifts his finger, threatening to flip the switch. So, I tell him. I tell him all about my work with the lab rats. I tell him about how the different drugs have different short and long term effects on the rats. I tell him everything I can possibly remember about my experiment. Then, I begin to tell him about every experiment I've ever done. My throat burns but it is much more bearable than the pain that that switch would hand to me. I talk until his hand goes to my throat, pushing my head up so I am forced to face him.

Very slowly, with his other hand, he reaches up to his mask. He slowly, very, very slowly, removes the mask from his face. My breath is caught in my throat. It can't be. No. He would never do this. It's not possible. Why? How? I do not understand. I cannot fathom why he would be doing this. He's been such a great friend. He's a great scientist. We are colleagues. How could he do this to me? Why would he do this to me? I have always helped him with anything and everything he's ever asked. I do not understand why he has done this to me. I just . . . it doesn't make sense. It makes no sense at all. My mind is racing, completely blown away by the face I have been shown today. I feel dizzy. It could be the lack of food and water or it could be the shock. Maybe it's a mix of both. Whatever the reason, I am soon thrust into a sea of darkness. I welcome it with all my heart.

Alexander Abernathy's POV

It has been two weeks. Ivy has been trapped in that torture chamber for two weeks. We have not had a lead. Not one single lead that could possibly direct us towards finding Ivy; Nothing, absolutely nothing.

I have barely slept over these two weeks. No one has really. There is two weeks' worth of stubble on my face. I haven't washed my hair or changed my clothes since this whole thing started. I just can't bring myself to leave this room. What if something were to happen on the screen while I was gone? I can't miss anything.

My back aches from the uncomfortable chairs. I am sure it is not even comparable to what is happening to Ivy right now. I've watched her get shocked repeatedly and they get longer and longer as the days go on. The longest has been fifteen minutes. I can't even imagine what she must be going through.

But I know that my mom knows what it feels like; Aunt Johanna and Uncle Peeta, too. I've heard some stories of their time as Capitol prisoners. I've heard stories of the things they endured. I shudder just at the thoughts. How any human being could do that to another is beyond me.

"You need to eat," Mom tells me as she hands me a Styrofoam takeout box.

"Thanks," I reply quietly, taking the box from her. I open it and make an effort to eat at least half of it, despite having no appetite at all. I know it makes mom feel better, knowing that she's taking care of me in one way. I know it is killing her to watch her, basically, granddaughter be tortured in the same way she was. I can't even imagine how Uncle Peeta and Aunt Katniss must be feeling right. Parents should never have to watch their children endure something like this; Never.

Just as I am putting the food my mother brought me aside, the screen flickers to life. I close my eyes, trying to prepare myself for what is to come. We are only allowed to see what is happening when he is torturing her. That's all. Once he has finished with his torture, the screen goes dark once again.

Oddly, this time, Ivy doesn't end up contorted in pain. Instead, he asks her about her science experiments. She tells him about her graduation project and every other science project she's ever done in her entire life. She is thinking that, if she keeps telling him this, he will not shock her today. She is hoping for some reprieve.

Once she has finished talking, he walks up to her. A knot forms in the pit of my stomach. He puts his hand on her throat and pushes, forcing her to look up at him. Then, he very slowly moves his other hand to his mask. There is a change in the air of the room. We are all waiting anxiously to find out the identity of this . . . this psychopath. He removes his mask and my jaw drops.

This doesn't make sense. Why would he kidnap Ivy? They're science partners, colleagues. I would even dare to call them friends! This doesn't . . . I don't understand. How could he do this to her? What motivation could he possibly have? She's never hurt him; never! There . . . this has to be some sort of . . . mistake.

But, no, there is no mistake in the identity of Ivy's kidnapper. The dark brown hair, the pale blue eyes, the stocky build, it all goes together to form a man that Ivy and I both know very well; A man that was on the road to being the next great scientist of the world. Damian Foster. The man Ivy shares her very laboratory with.

* * *

**Damian Foster! Now that's a pretty scary name, at least I think so. More will be revealed about him in the next chapter. Will he kill her? Or will Alex be able to save Ivy in time? Wait and see! Thanks for reading and please leave me a review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey, Everyone! I am so sorry it took me a few days to get this chapter written. I had a few personal things to deal with and just wasn't in the right mindset to write. I don't see that as an excuse so I want you guys to know that I should be back with my regular updates now. Well, without further ado, Read on!**

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Chapter Fourteen

Alexander Abernathy's POV

"Damian Foster!" I shout out. The moment the name passes my lips, all hell breaks loose. The police start off in all different directions; some of them start typing away on their computers, others head to Damian's dorm room and maybe even the lab.

But I am utterly still, attempting to wrap my head around why Damian would do this. He's always seemed like a great guy. Ivy and I have spent several study session together with him. Ivy would see him on a regular basis in the lab that they share. She's never been anything but nice to him. I don't understand why he has done this, why he has kidnapped and tortured her. It truly does not make any logical sense. But that's just it. He's not being logical or rational. Obviously, he is not acting logically. There must be something mentally wrong with him

"Foster's deceased parents owned a little cottage on the outskirts of the Capitol. We're sending a force their now." The Chief of Police tells me.

"I want to come," I state. My tone must tell him that there is no getting around this because he just nods and gestures me to follow him.

I've never been in a police car before, I realize as I slip into the passenger seat of the Chief's police car. The sirens are quite loud when you are right there next to them. My heart rate picks up considerably. My fear and anxiety mixing with a sort of relief that comes with knowing that we are finally _doing _something to help Ivy.

The entire ride, I have to continually stop my right leg from jittering up and down. My nerves seem to have over taken me. My heart literally feels like it could leap right out of my chest. I am vaguely aware of the Chief saying something, but my mind is too busy reeling to care to pay attention.

What is happening to Ivy at this moment? Is Damian getting ready to kill her? Has he killed her already? No. I can't let myself think like that. She's okay. She has to be. I . . . She just has to be okay.

The police car comes to a startling halt. If it hadn't been for my seatbelt, well, I probably would have gone through the windshield. The Chief gets out and I follow him. The darkness of night makes the cottage seem a lot creepier than I am sure it truly is.

The cottage, I'm sure, would be a nice summer vacation spot. It sits just a few yards from a lake, the moon reflecting in the still water. Somewhere off in the distance, an owl hoots. A breeze rolls in from the lake and goose bumps travel along my bear arms.

I remain outside as the police officers head into the cottage, their guns drawn. I don't even want to think about what horrible thing he is doing to her, but that seems to be the only thing my mind wants to continually turn back to.

As if Ivy hasn't been through enough already in her young life, she has to go through this. You would think that having to kill two men, single handedly, and save all of Panem would be enough. Apparently, it wasn't.

Every tantalizing minute feels like hours. Waiting is pure agony. Not knowing whether or not Ivy is safe, if she is okay. What am I saying? Of course she's not okay. She's just been through hell and back. There's no way she can be "okay" after everything. Two weeks. She was trapped for two weeks. She was tortured for two weeks. Two weeks. Fourteen days. Three hundred and thirty-six hours.

I start pacing the gravel pathway that leads to the front door of the cottage. What's taking them so long? Shouldn't they have subdued Damian by now? What if they're waiting for an ambulance? Or body bags? No. No. She's fine. They'll only need one body bag, for Damian. If they don't shoot him, I'll kill him with my bear hands.

The gravel crunches beneath my feet as I pace, like small explosions in the quiet of the night. Again, an owl hoots. I wonder if it's the same owl. Another breeze flows through the trees, like a quiet whisper.

What is taking them so damn long? Surely it's been . . . hours? I honestly don't know. Minutes feel like hours. I continue pacing, faster now. The owl hoots again. What is with that damn owl?

I hear the door to the cottage open and I spin around. The Chief appears. The look in his eyes scares me.

"What is it?" I ask him. My heart is pounding harder. I can feel my blood pounding in my temples. I can't breathe. The Chief opens his mouth to respond, but is interrupted by two female police officers helping Ivy out of the cottage.

My heart stops. Her beautiful, brown hair is matted and tangled. She's shivering from the night air and I can tell that she is about ten, maybe twenty, pounds lighter than she was before she was kidnapped. Her skin is pale. And then there are her eyes. Her beautiful, deep, soulful, grey eyes are void of any emotion but fear. It breaks my heart to see her in this condition.

"Ivy," I say as I go to collect her in my arms.

"No," She practically shrieks, flinching away from me and using one of the female police officers as a sort of shield. I back away, per the officer's instructions, and watch as the two female police officers try to calm Ivy down. It takes a good five minutes before Ivy is once again calm. Then, they lead her to one of the police cars. I watch as they drive away in the direction of the Capitol.

"Son," The Chief begins.

"What the hell was that?" I ask him, both fear and anger bubbling up inside of me.

"Well, kid, it would seem that your girl has developed a sort of fear of men." The Chief informs me.

"She's afraid of men?" I hear myself ask, disbelief very evident in my voice.

"Yes," The Chief answers.

"What about Damian?" I ask and, as an answer to my question, two police officers come out of the cottage. Between them, is Damian Foster, his hands cuffed behind his back. We make brief eye contact before his eyes flick away from me.

For some reason, this sets me off. I lunge for him, my hands going around his neck and both of us landing on the gravel pathway. I begin pounding his head into the gravel, my hands still around his neck. He is squirming, but there is little he can do to defend himself since his hands are cuffed behind his back. There is yelling and I feel officers prying me off of him. I fight them. They should have just shot him. He doesn't deserve to live. Not after what he did to Ivy.

"Calm down, boy!" The Chief tells me. He leads me to his police car and I climb in. As the Chief drives us in the direction of the Capitol, the lights of the city guiding us, only one thought is registering in my brain: Ivy Mellark, the love of my life, is afraid of me.

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**DUN DUN DUN! What's going to happen between Ivy and Alex? What's going to happen with Damian? How is the rest of the family going to react to this? So many question and so little answers! Thanks for reading and leave me a review on your way out!**

**P.S. So, I've recently learned who is going to be my character's district partner for the 24/24 collaboration I am a part of. Alexander Cole and Ivy Cameron are the Tributes of District 9 for the 34th Annual Hunger Games! Can any of you say star crossed lovers of District 9? Haha. I guess we'll have to see what happens with them. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey, Everybody! Here's the next chapter! Your reactions to the last chapter have spurred me on a bit and hopefully I'll have one or two more chapters for you before the day is through. Now, on with the story! Read on, my friends!**

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Chapter Fifteen

Phoenix Mellark's POV

"So what does this mean?" Dad asks the doctor. Alex and Finn are both pacing up and down the hospital waiting room. We are all here. Aunt Johanna and Uncle Nash are sitting next to my mom. Uncle Gale is leaning against the cold, white walls of the waiting room. Liam is sitting on the ground, leaning his head against the wall. Ash is sitting with Lilac, his arms wrapped around her as she tries to keep her emotions in check. Haymitch and Effie are sitting just a few chairs down from me.

It is obvious that this whole situation is reminding both Haymitch and Effie of Effie's torture at the hands of the Capitol so many years ago. For dad, I am sure he is reliving his own time in a cell beneath the streets of the Capitol.

The doctor has just informed us of Ivy's critical condition. She has been hooked up to an IV to help replenish all of the nutrients her body has lost over the course of the last two weeks. X-rays have been taken and any breaks or fractures have been set and casted. MRI scans have been done to make sure that she has no internal bleeding.

"We are still trying to get Ivy to tell us exactly what happened, but we are certain that, whatever he did to her, was bad enough for her to have developed a fear of men. It's quite common for this kind of fear to develop after such a traumatic encounter." The doctor tells him. Mom hugs dad and he wraps his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side.

"She'll pull through," Mom whispers to him.

"When can we see her?" Alex stops pacing long enough to ask the doctor. The doctor takes a deep breath before answering.

"At the moment, she is in no condition to be receiving visitors." The doctor says. "It could be days, weeks, even months before she'll be fit enough, mentally speaking, to see you all." It is obvious that this piece of information is tearing at Alex's heartstrings. He runs a hand through his hair and sits down in the hard, plastic chair next to me. He puts his head into his hands but chokes back the sobs I know he wants nothing more than to let out. Effie wraps her arm around him and whispers something in his ear.

The doctor excuses himself and then we are all launched into silence. It is clear that all our thoughts are on Ivy. How could anyone do something this . . . heinous to my little sister? She didn't deserve this. Then again, no one in our family deserved anything they went through.

Haymitch, my parents, Aunt Johanna, and Annie Cresta didn't deserve to go into the Hunger Games, forced to fight for their lives while the Capitol people watched for their own entertainment. Effie didn't deserve to be kidnapped and tortured by her own Capitol people. I suppose fairness is not something this family is accustomed with.

Being Ivy's big brother, my mind is plagued with thoughts of how I should have been able to protect her. That's what big brothers are for. We're supposed to protect our sisters, from anything ranging from heart ache to this kind of situation.

Finn, who has spent the last hour pacing the waiting room, finally takes a seat next to our parents. It is obvious that he is having the same thoughts that I am. Surely he is blaming himself in the same way I am at the moment.

He alternates between running his fingers through his blonde hair and jittering his legs anxiously. Our dad puts an arm around his shoulders and whispers what I am sure are some form of words meant to comfort him. But none of us will be experiencing comfort anytime soon.

Lilac is still softly whimpering in Ash's arms. Ash's eyes are glossy, suggesting that he is also holding back tears of his own. Of course he's trying to hold back his tears. I am sure that, once one of us breaks, we all will soon follow. We're all trying to be strong, for Ivy's sake.

"I'm going for coffee." Uncle Gale says. "I'll bring something back for everyone." Liam gets up and goes with him. He's probably been itching to get out of this waiting room. There certainly is a lot of . . . tension here.

Uncle Gale and Liam come back with trays of coffees and even a bag of pastries. A few minutes later, everyone has a coffee. The bag of pastries goes untouched. No one is quite sure they could keep any food down right now. Sipping coffee helps a little, I guess. At least it gives us something to do.

"Mrs. Mellark," A nurse says as she comes out to the waiting room. "Your daughter is asking for you." Mom gets up and follows the nurse to Ivy's room.

Katniss' POV

My heart thuds in my chest as I follow the nurse. I am honored that Ivy has chosen me as her first visitor. I am fully ready to help my baby girl through this very difficult time in her life. The nurse gestures for me to enter the room we have stopped in front of. The quietness is somewhat unsettling. I walk into the quiet and dimly lit room. Ivy is lying on her side on a hospital bed. Her eyes flutter open and fall on me.

"Mom," She chokes out. All it takes is that one word and I crossing the room, pulling my baby girl in my arms. I stroke her brunette hair as she heartbreakingly sobs into my shoulder. There is nothing I can really say to her to make the pain go away.

"Mom, why?" Ivy asks me through her sobs. It breaks my heart to hear her ask me that. I truly have no answer for her.

"I don't know why, sweetheart." I tell her truthfully, rubbing her back soothingly.

"Did they . . . did the cops get Damian?" She asks me.

"They did." I tell her. "He's not going to be able to hurt you anymore."

"Did I hurt Alex?" Ivy asks me next.

"Sweetheart, what do you mean? You didn't hurt anyone." I respond.

"When I . . . When I was afraid of him? Did I hurt his feelings?" She asks.

"Oh, Ivy, he understands. He knows that what you just went through was very traumatic. Ivy, Alex loves you very much and he just wants you to get better." I tell Ivy.

"I love him, too. It was just . . . I was afraid. I know I don't have to be afraid of him, but it was just a . . . a reaction." Ivy says.

"I know, honey, I know." I reply, still rubbing her back. We are quiet for a while, only the sounds of Ivy's occasional whimpers breaking the silence. I have to choke back my own tears, knowing that, right now, I have to be strong for my daughter. She needs me right now. At this moment, I am one of very few people she will not be afraid of. She needs me and I am fully ready to do everything I have to, to help her through this; no matter what.

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**I figured Ivy would really want her mother to help her out during this tough time. In coming chapters we will see Lilac, Effie, and even Johanna helping Ivy out during this hard time. And, we'll see how Ivy reacts to Peeta's presence. Thanks so much for reading and please leave me a review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey, Everybody! Another chapter! Whoo! This one highlights Ivy and Peeta! I really did love writing this chapter! Alright, go ahead, Read on!**

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Chapter Sixteen

Ivy Mellark's POV

_*Two days later*_

"Why don't you tell me about Alexander, your boyfriend?" Dr. Jewel Sapphire, the psychiatrist I was assigned to see once a day for the next few weeks, asks me. It's our first session and I haven't made eye contact with her since our initial handshake. I pick a spot on the plush, red carpeted floor and take a deep breath before beginning.

"We were best friends before we ever started dating. I guess he liked me since we were in second grade. That's what he told me, at least. I was dating another guy when I found out that he liked me in that way. Then it turned out that the guy I had been dating was just using me, but that's a completely different story.

"Alex and I went to prom together senior year and then we went to Panem University together. He really is a great guy. He's smart, caring, considerate, and funny; the list goes on and on. I love him, really do." I finish as my voice starts cracking from the pressure of holding back tears. I sound as if I am trying to convince Dr. Sapphire, or even myself.

"And you're worried you won't be able to be near him anymore?" Dr. Sapphire asks me. For the first time since meeting Dr. Sapphire, I look up at her. Our eyes lock, my grey ones on her deep blue ones. I nod, a few tears slipping from my eyes.

"Ivy, right now, your psyche is fragile. Your mind is registering males as threats. I have no doubts that you will get through this, but we have to take it slowly. Over time, you will be able to be near Alex again. I promise you that." Dr. Sapphire tells me. I am nodding and thanking her and crying all at the same time.

"Now, I would like to start off with a male you've been around since, well, since you were in the womb." Dr. Sapphire says and I nod. I know she means my father. Dr. Sapphire nods and then gets up and goes to the door of her office. After a few seconds, both my mom and dad enter the room. I tense up and avert my eyes from my father, my fear overcoming all other rational thought. Mom sits down next to me, clutching my hand in hers, and dad sits across from me, barely in my line of sight.

"Alright, first off, I want to ask Ivy how she is feeling right now, with your father in such close proximity," Dr. Sapphire says. I can feel three pairs of eyes solely resting on me. I take a deep breath and then respond.

"I'm a little . . . I guess you could call it nervous or anxious. Um . . . I'm not exactly afraid, but my heart rate is elevated somewhat." I answer, not looking up.

"Ivy, I want you to do something for me. I want you to look up at your father." Dr. Sapphire requests. My heart starts pounding even harder now, but I take a shaky breath and attempt what she asks of me.

I slowly bring my head up, though I keep my eyes averted from where my father is sitting. I know that, if I don't look at my father, Dr. Sapphire will surely ask me to. So, I take another deep breath and close my eyes for a second before opening them and looking my father straight in the eyes. My heart is thudding hard against my ribcage. My breaths are shallow and ragged. But none of that is quite registering in my brain. What is registering is the soft, gentle look in my father's crystal blue eyes and the hopeful and warm smile on his lips.

"Alright, now, Peeta, I want you to ask Ivy if you can give her a hug. This is how we will do things. You will always ask before you touch Ivy." Dr. Sapphire instructs. I am blinking back tears, for some reason moved by how gentle my father seems.

"Ivy, may I give you a hug?" Dad asks me tentatively. After a minute of thought, I nod. He gets up and crosses the small space between us before enveloping me in a gentle and tentative hug. My breath catches in my throat for just a moment before I am hugging him back. Before I can stop them, my tears are flowing down my cheeks and soaking my father's shirt.

"I . . . I love you," I choke out against his shirt.

"Oh, I love you, too, baby girl." Dad tells me, hugging me just a bit tighter.

"Good. This is good." Dr. Sapphire says. Dad and I end our embrace, but he doesn't move back to his chair across the room. Instead, I scoot over so he can sit on the couch with mom and me.

"This is very good first session progress." Dr. Sapphire tells us. "Now, Ivy, you're going to be staying here in the hospital for a few weeks. I want you to spend some time with your father and mother and even the other females in your family. I know that your family has a history of . . . traumatic experiences and I think that it will help you to learn how they dealt with there's as you work to deal with your own." I nod at Dr. Sapphire's words. It is true that the women in this family have been through quite a lot over the years.

Dr. Sapphire tells us that this session is over and escorts us all back to the room I will be staying in for the next few weeks. It isn't very big, but it contains the necessities: A bed, a few books on a book shelf, a bolted shut window looking out to the city.

"We'll be back in about an hour," Mom tells me as she hugs me tightly. They are heading out to grab some of my stuff from my dorm room so I can have it for the next couple of weeks. After asking, dad hugs me, too. I notice that my heart is not pounding as hard as it was before with our first hug; progress.

About ten minutes later, a nurse comes to my room, followed by my sister, Effie, and Aunt Johanna. I don't hesitate at all before I launch myself into their arms, giving them each a tight hug.

"Oh, sweetie," Effie says as we embrace. Her red eyes tell me that she has been crying. And of course she has. I am sure all of this has reminded her of her time when she was prisoner, being tortured by people she thought were supposed to keep her safe.

"Ivy," Lilac says as she hugs me. "I can't . . . I just can't believe it." She tells me. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too." I tell her as we break our embrace. Just seconds later, I am in the strong arms of Johanna Hemlock. I feel safe here with my family. I just wish Alex was here. Dr. Sapphire says that we're going to work up to my interaction with Alex. Next, it will be Phoenix I will be interacting with; then Finn and, after him, Haymitch. Later, I will take Uncle Gale, Uncle Nash, Liam, and Ash in time. Once everyone else has gone through, then I will finally be able to interact with Alex. Dr. Sapphire says it will be best for me to interact with him last since our relationship was closest than that of all the other males in the family. I would rather just jump right to Alex. It hurts me not to be with him and I can only imagine what he's going through. Surely he is worrying none stop. That's what he does, worry. But, I suppose, Dr. Sapphire knows best. I will be better, eventually. I will.

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**I don't know about you, but I just loved the father-daughter interaction in this chapter! I am also excited for the brother-sister interaction to come up in the next chapter! And then the Ivy-Haymitch interaction! And, last, but not least at all, the Alex-Ivy reunion! Can you guys wait? Cuz I know I can't! Thanks a million for reading and don't forget to leave me a review on your way out! :) (And I just have to say it: GO USA for having the most medals!)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey, Everyone! T****his chapter is full of sibling fluff, with just a little twist at the end! I'm going to hold back on my ramblings until the end. So, Read on!**

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Chapter Seventeen

Phoenix Mellark's POV

It's been about a month since Ivy was rescued from the clutches of Damian Foster. Damian's trial will be in another couple of months. Since we have video footage of him torturing her and it's clear that he kidnapped her, it's pretty obvious that he'll be spending the rest of his life in prison.

The bigger obstacle that needs to be tackled is Ivy's fear of men. So far, she's been able to be around our dad and, shockingly, even alone with him for short periods of time. Dr. Sapphire is just ecstatic about the level of progress she's been making.

I'm up next for Ivy to interact with and I am finding myself increasingly nervous. We'll be having our session with Dr. Sapphire tomorrow morning. It's really weird how nervous I am about this. We're twins; we shared a womb for nine months. This shouldn't be this nerve wracking!

I'm just afraid that Ivy will have some sort of horrible flashback during our session. After everything she went through, it's understandable that her psyche reacted this way. I guess it's just hard for me, as her twin brother, to watch her go through all this.

The next morning, I am waiting outside of Dr. Sapphire's office. Ivy, mom, and Dr. Sapphire are in just beyond the wall I am leaning on. I am glad that mom will be in there, too, just in case Ivy freaks out or something. It just helps.

Dad had told me about how well Ivy had reacted to him. I was really hoping for such a positive reaction. It would be nice to give my sister a hug. I've wanted nothing more than to give her a hug after everything she's been through, but I knew that I couldn't, at least not right away.

"Phoenix, you can come on in now." Dr. Sapphire says, popping her head out of her office. I nod, take a deep breath, and get up. I walk into the room and sit down in the chair Dr. Sapphire gestures me to.

Ivy's gaze is averted from mine. I can tell that her breathing and heart rate are elevated. I swallow nervously. Ivy is clutching mom's hand, as if it were a lifeline.

"Ivy, how are you feeling right now, around your brother?" Dr. Sapphire asks Ivy.

"Um . . . It's . . . it's a little worse than when it was dad. Like, I'm more nervous. I'm not really afraid, though; just . . . just apprehensive." Ivy answers, nervously fidgeting in her seat. My own heart is thudding against my ribcage.

"Ivy, I would like you to look at your brother." Dr. Sapphire says. Her voice is gentle, yet still sounds commanding. I see Ivy take a deep breath and then she lifts her head. Her grey eyes meet my blue ones. As our eyes lock, I smile a bit, hopefully in encouragement. Ivy smiles back at me. This isn't a fake smile that she had to force. No, it is a true, genuine smile that reaches her eyes, causing them to sparkle. There is also the sheen of tears. Happy tears, I hope.

"Can I give him a hug?" Ivy asks Dr. Sapphire.

"Why, of course you can!" Dr. Sapphire responds, after getting over the initial shock of Ivy initializing the contact between us. I'll be honest; I hadn't gotten my hopes up too high for a hug during this session.

I barely have enough time to process my thoughts before Ivy has practically launched herself into my arms. I can't help the huge smile that crosses my face as I carefully wrap my arms around my twin sister. I can feel as Ivy's tears soak into my shirt and I have to blink back my own tears.

"I love you, Phoenix." Ivy tells me.

"I love you, too, sis." I reply, grinning even more. After a few more seconds, we pull apart.

"Oh, this is so wonderful! Now, I want you to work on being in the same room with Phoenix where it's just the two of you, like you've been doing with your father. Ivy, you really are making wonderful progress. It's great. We'll just keep working on it and, in no time, you'll be back to how you were before this whole experience." Dr. Sapphire tells Ivy. We all nod before heading out. As we are walking, Ivy leans into my side for another hug. It's great to have my sister back.

Finn Mellark

_*Two Weeks Later*_

I have to stop my leg from jittering for the thousandth time since I took a seat outside of Dr. Sapphire's office. Today, Ivy and I are going to be having our session. Both dad and Phoenix had nothing but success in their sessions, but I'm still as nervous as hell.

After I catch my leg jittering once again, I stand up with a huff of frustration. I start pacing the hallway and occasionally running my hand through my hair. What if I totally screw up? What if I mess up all the progress she's already made? She really is doing great and I don't want to be the reason she ends up going backwards. This isn't as easy for me as it is for Phoenix. I'm not in touch with my "sensitive side". I'm a macho man. I play sports and do other manly stuff . . .

"Finn, come on in." Dr. Sapphire says, waving me into her office. I take a seat in the soft red and tan cloth chair that sits across from a tan couch. Ivy and mom are sitting on the couch. Ivy is currently facing mom, chatting about something. Mom looks up at me and gives me an encouraging smile. She's been going through this whole thing with Ivy. She's got to sit in on all her sessions and watch all the progress firsthand.

"Alright, well, Ivy, your brother Finn is here!" Dr. Sapphire says. I think she might be trying to make the atmosphere peppy. "Ivy, how are you feeling right now?" Dr. Sapphire asks Ivy.

"Nervous, just like I always am when we do one of these sessions. I think it might just be that I'm over thinking it, though. Like, I think I should be nervous around men and then I am nervous when we one of them comes into the room. Really, I don't have anything to fear around any of the guys in my family.

"I know that they'd never hurt me. Really, they'd protect me from anyone who tries to hurt me. I know Finn would be the first one to whoop someone's ass if he needed to." Ivy says, a small smile creeping onto her face. I let out a chuckle. That statement does ring true, though. I would whoop some asses for my sisters any day. Ivy chuckles too and then looks up at me. Her smile stays on her face as we share another second of chuckling together.

"I love you, big sis." I tell her as our laughter fades.

"I love you, too, little bro." She replies. Upon prompting from mom and Dr. Sapphire, Ivy gets up and gives me a hug. Mom cracks a joke about how we used to always mess around when we were kids and we all end up leaving the office to the sounds of chuckles. It's nice to hear Ivy's laughter.

"Hey, Mellark, where have you been all day?" My swim coach asks me as I am exiting the men's locker room.

"I had a family thing today. You know, for my sister, who was . . ." I trail off.

"Kid, you should have been here, practicing. Listen kid, there have been rumors about bringing back this huge sports competition called to Olympics. If they do, then swimming is going to be your sport. You can't win gold medals if you don't practice like a gold medal champion." Coach tells me. I sigh and try to fake up some sort of enthusiasm for these "Olympics". I know it's futile to argue. And you don't want to make Coach mad. He's the best swim coach in all of Panem.

Practice every day? That'll really tighten up my schedule. I already have classes five hours a day and then I have my time with Ivy. My sister's wellbeing is my main priority. But, I know that if I don't show up to every practice, Coach'll drop me. If these Olympics are really gonna happen, I'm going to need Coach to, well, coach me. I know my future lies in sports. My entire family knows that. I just hope they can understand.

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**I do love the men of the Mellark family! They're all so wonderful! Now, how about Finn's little dilemma? Do you think his family will understand? Do you think he's going to try to stretch himself too thin to make everyone happy? Next, we'll see some Haymitch and then I'll probably just give you snippets of everyone else's sessions. We do have Damian trial to look forward to, also! ;). **

**Also, I have come the realize that I have spoiled you all too much. You're all so used to my every-day updates. I really do hate to tell you this, but once August really gets going, well, there won't be every-day updates. I start tennis on Tuesday and then, on August 24th, I start school. That means that, once school starts, I'll have about three to four hours to do homework, study, eat dinner, shower, and write. I'm going to do everything I can to keep my updates to two (maybe even three, if it's a good week) chapters a week. Believe me, I love writing this story as much as you love reading it and I hate that I won't be able to write as much. And with my 24/24 collaboration starting, It'll all be a little stressful. But, I love you all so much that I'm willing to stress out a little. So, hopefully I can keep up with this story and it's sequel (yes, another one). Thanks for taking the time to read this. :) ~ Doc.  
**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey, Everybody! Things are definitely going good for Ivy so far! :D Now, since I do love this chapter, I'm not going to ramble on and on. Read on!**

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Chapter Eighteen

Ivy Mellark's POV

_*Two Weeks Later*_

Everything is dark. I can't even see my own hand when I hold up in front of my face. I feel my heart rate pick up. I don't like being confined in the darkness. I feel like I've gone blind. It's also completely silent. You could hear a pin drop from the other side of the room, I am sure.

I extend my hand behind me, reaching out for a wall or something to help me get my bearings. My fingers come into contact with a cold, slimy surface. My heart rate picks up even more as I realize how cold it is wherever I am. Goose bumps spread across my arms and legs. My muscles involuntarily shiver.

The pure silence is shatter by the sound of a creaky door opening, ever so slowly. My breath catches in my throat. I feel my hands start to shake. Solid footsteps ring out, getting closer and closer. My lungs are screaming for oxygen.

There is a click in the silence, followed by the glow of a soft, orange flame. A face appears in the light of the flame. Dark hair, pale blue eyes . . . Damian. A sound escapes my throat. A mixture of a scream and a gasp that sounds incredibly pathetic. This makes Damian chuckle as he takes more steps towards me. The sound sends the hairs on the back of my neck to full attention.

Damian's chuckling ends and I hear him pull something from his pocket. He brings the object up the lighter's flame. It gleams in the orange light. Whatever it is, it's definitely made of some sort of metal. Damian stops, just inches separating us. On his face, he wears a cocky grin, his eye shining with mischief. He brings the object, which I now notice is a knife, up to my throat. The metal is cold against my skin and I resist the urge to swallow the saliva that has collected in my mouth.

"I should have killed you sooner," Damian tells me, his pale blue eyes piercing my soul. He presses on the knife and I feel the warm trickle of blood as it flows down my neck.

I sit up at the speed of light, covered in a cold sweat and gasping for air. I whip my head around, taking in my surroundings. My breathing starts to settle as I realize that I am not in a dark basement, but rather, my room in the hospital. A glance out my small window tells me that I still have hours before the sun will begin its journey across the sky. There is soft knock at my door and then my mother pops her head into my room.

"Are you alright?" She asks me. "I thought I heard some noise."

"I just had a nightmare," I tell her, my breathing still a bit shallow.

"How bad was it?" Mom asks me.

"Bad," I answer. She enters the room and closes the door behind her.

"Lay down. I'll sing you your favorite song. You really should get some sleep tonight." Mom tells me. I lay back and close my eyes as mom starts singing to me.

_"Deep in the meadow, under the willow, a bed of grass, a soft green pillow; lie down and close your sleepy eyes. And when again they open, the sun will rise. Here it's safe, here it's warm. Here the daisies guard you from every harm. Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true. Here is the place where I love you." _I feel my eyes beginning to droop as mom continues to sing one of my favorite childhood lullabies. _"Deep in the meadow, hidden far away, a cloak of leaves, and a moonbeam ray; forget your woes and let your troubles lay. And when again it's morning, they'll wash away. Here it's safe, here it's warm. Here the daisies guard you from every harm. Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true. Here is the place where I love you." _My eyelids fall closed and I am thrust into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Effie's POV

I watch as Haymitch fidgets nervously. Today is his session with Ivy. I offered to give Katniss a break and take this session. She was grateful for it and was glad there were women in our family who understood what Ivy was going through.

"It's going to be fine," I tell my very anxious husband.

"I know. I just don't want to screw anything up." Haymitch replies with a sigh.

"You won't." I say, encouragingly rubbing his arm. Dr. Sapphire comes out and invites us into her office. Ivy is seated on a tan couch that sits across from two armchairs. I take a seat next to Ivy and Haymitch goes to the red armchair.

"If it's okay with everyone, I would like to do this session slightly different." Dr. Sapphire states. "I would like Haymitch to tell us all a story about something he and Ivy did together when she was younger. It could be anything really." Dr. Sapphire explains. Haymitch nods and I can see that he is trying to think something up.

"There was one time, when Ivy was about seven. It was a hot summer's day and Ivy and Alex were playing in the backyard. Alex wanted to go for a swim in our pool, but Ivy hadn't quite mastered the art of swimming yet.

"So, while Effie took Alex into the pool, I sat down and asked Ivy if she would like to learn how to swim. She said she wanted to, so I got her changed into her bathing suit and we went over to the pool. We started off in the shallow end and I just, you know, show her how to float and, then, how to paddle with her arms and legs.

"Ivy started off, with me holding onto her. She really was doing well. So, without saying anything, I let go of her. She did wonderfully on her own. So, after a few more minutes, she says 'Grandpa, let go' and I tell her I already had. Oh, you got all excited that you were swimming on your own." Haymitch tells Ivy with a chuckle. "It was a great day."

"I remember that day," Ivy says, looking up at Haymitch with a smile. "Alex and I double teamed you in a splashing contest."

"That's true," Haymitch chuckles in response. Ivy gets up and crosses over to Haymitch. The two embrace in a hug and I feel a bit teary eyed at watching them together.

"It sounds like you two have a lot of good memories," Dr. Sapphire states. I am currently trying to keep my own emotions in check. Haymitch is just so good with all of the kids in this family. He never ceases to amaze me. He really did deserve to have had children of his own . . .

"We do." Ivy says.

"So, when you are feeling anxious around him, I want you to concentrate on those memoires. Do that we all of the males in your family. I think it will help to calm your nerves. And, in no time at all, you'll be making even better memories with them. Ivy, you really do have an incredible family. I've never seen a family that's dropped everything and come to someone's side like this." Dr. Sapphire tells Ivy. Ivy nods and agrees wholeheartedly.

"We're family and that's what family does," I say as I pull Ivy in for a hug.

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**1) I love Haymitch Abernathy (yes, I realize it's weird to be in love with a forty year old drunk man that doesn't even technically exist. I guess I'll have to settle for Woody Harrelson LOL). 2) I love the idea of Katniss singing Ivy to sleep, especially with that particular song! Tell me what you think in your reviews! **

**Alas, tomorrow I begin tennis practice! Hopefully my fingers aren't sore so I can write you guys a chapter tomorrow afternoon. Every other muscle I have is sure to be very sore . . . o.O Oh well! Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!  
**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey, Everybody! You have no idea how bad I feel for not updating since Monday! Ugh! I'll be honest, so far, tennis is totally kicking my $$! But, guess what! I'm pretty sure I'm on Varsity! O.o And, I'm not as sore tonight as I was Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday! LOL Coach has us run for fifteen minutes before every practice and I'll be honest, it sucks, but it totally feels good afterwards. Okay, okay, enough about me! Please, Read on!  
**

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Chapter Nineteen

Alexander Abernathy's POV

_*Three Days Later*_

"This is so exciting!" My mom chirps as we take our seats on the train headed for District 4. Annie Cresta's son's wife went into labor a few hours ago. Annie called everyone and we decided to take a trip out there. Mom, Aunt Katniss, and Aunt Johanna were all excited. Why women got so excited when another woman was going to have a baby, I have no idea.

I lean back against my seat and watch as Ivy boards the train on the opposite side and about fifteen seats down from me. We haven't spoken a single word to each other since our break up, before Ivy was kidnapped.

If I could go back in time, I would have given her anything she wanted, as long as it meant that she would be safe. I can't even describe the feeling I had when I found out she had been taken. Even though everyone says I shouldn't, I still blame myself. It's my fault that we had that fight. I'm the one that decided that Ivy and I should take a break. I'm to blame for her kidnapping.

I tilt my head enough so I can watch as the building of the Capitol blur into each other and then into deep green forests. There is something soothing about both the motion of the train and the blur of the trees. I must have fallen asleep because, next thing I know, my mom is gently shaking me awake and telling me we're in District 4.

"Sleep much?" Phoenix asks me as I stretch my neck and yawn.

"Not for the last few months," I tell him as we all make our way to the hospital Kyle and his wife are currently in.

"Dude, you're too stressed out. I know you're worried about Ivy, but she's going to be fine. I'm telling you, in six months, you two will be back together like nothing ever happened." Phoenix says as we follow the rest of our family to the hospital.

"How can we go back to the way things were after everything she's been through?" I respond.

"Maybe everything won't be exactly the same, but they'll be better than they are now. She's gonna need time. At least she already trusts you." Phoenix tells me. I just nod a few times in response as we turn the corner on the OB/GYN floor of the hospital in District 4. Annie, who was sitting in one of the plastic chairs, jumps up and starts handing out hug after hug.

Annie, of course, knows about everything that has happened over the last couple of months. She wanted to come to the Capitol, but Aunt Katniss and Uncle Peeta told her to stay in District Four with Kyle and Rose. Rose had been put on bed rest shortly after Ivy had been kidnapped. She was actually a few weeks passed her due date and, from what I've heard, quite anxious to have her baby.

All the guys just take a seat in the uncomfortable, plastic, hospital chairs while all the women go in to see Rose. Laughter and quiet squeals come from the hospital room and I just look at my dad with my eyebrows raised. He just chuckles and shakes his head, non-verbally telling me to not even ask. _Women, _I think to myself.

"She's been quite anxious since her due date came and went," Annie says as all the women come out of the hospital room and sit down in the hospital chairs.

"The first one always takes forever to come," Aunt Katniss says with a chuckle.

"That is so true," Johanna agrees. Next thing I know, all the parents are delving into every embarrassing story about their kids that they can remember. Dad just has to tell the one where I tried to dye one of my pet guinea pigs green for Ivy and I ended up with green arms and hair for an entire week.

About an hour later, Kyle pops his head out briefly to tell us that Rose is going to start pushing now. Anxiety makes its way around the waiting room. I've really grown to hate waiting rooms.

I can't help but watch Ivy as we all wait for the arrival of the newest member of our family. Her soft, brown hair falls just to her shoulders and the smile on her face reaches to her grey eyes, making them sparkle. She really is beautiful. I have no doubt that she will make a wonderful mother.

Another hour later and Kyle pokes his head out again. This time, though, his eyes are misty and he can't keep the smile off his face. He has a beautiful baby girl, Ariel Annie Odair. After about twenty minutes, he shuffles us all in, gesturing for us to be quiet.

In the hospital, Rose, with her auburn hair in a bit of a mess, her body sheen with sweat, and her sea foam green eyes also misty, is cradling possibly the smallest human being I have ever seen in her arms. Already you can tell that Ariel will have her mother's auburn hair.

Baby Ariel yawns and there is a collective "Aww" throughout the room. I have to admit, she really is adorable as she innocently sleeps in her mother's arms. Kyle is sitting beside his wife and new daughter, still barely containing his emotions. It's obvious to anyone how proud he is to be a father.

"Kyle and I talked and we decided that we want Finn and Ivy to be Ariel's godparents," Rose says, looking up at the family standing around her. Finn is obviously shocked. He opens and closes his mouth a few times, choked up from this extremely wonderful and unexpected sentiment. Ivy, too, is shocked. Her eyes are instantly misty and a smile forms on her face.

A little while later, baby Ariel is being passed around to all her anxious family members. Aunt Katniss, Aunt Johanna, and my mom just gush over her completely. I smile when I watch my dad cradle Ariel's tiny body in his arms. Kyle and Rose just sit back and watch as their daughter meets her family.

It's crazy, really, this family. Really, most of us aren't even blood related. But yet, here we all are, joined together for a moment of happiness, celebrating new life, after having spent the last few weeks helping another member of the family cope through a traumatic instance in their life. I guess, sometimes, you do get to choose your family, after all.

I just lean against the wall of the hospital room and watch my family. I guess I'm a little awkward since I've never really been around babies at first. It's amazing how natural Ivy is with baby Ariel. Even Finn seems to know what he's doing. Kyle and Rose could not have picked any two better people to be Ariel's godparents. Ivy and Finn would both do anything, absolutely anything, for the people they love.

I am entranced by Ivy's moment with Ariel. She just looks so beautiful holding a baby in her arms. I feel a lump form in my throat as I let my mind consider for just a second that, it is possible that Ivy and I may not get our happily ever after. There's no way to know how things will be between us now. They could be better or much worse. There really is no way of knowing until we actually start our interactions.

Her eyes flicker up and, for just a moment, our eyes lock. The corners of her lips twitch down for just a Nano-second before turning upwards. A smile. Before I can help it, I'm smiling back at her. I feel a flutter in the pit of my stomach and I feel my heart constrict just a little bit tighter. All too soon, our little moment is over, but it leaves me with a rekindled hope. We can still get through this.

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**1) I'll be honest, totally thought I would cry writing this. 2) How cute is Baby Ariel so far? 3) I am in love with Alexander Abernathy and, if Ivy doesn't take him, I will! Haha :) Guys, I'm so glad you're all reading this! I promise, I'm going to try to update more than I did this week. I really felt bad . . . I guess I'm as used to once a day updates as much as you guys all are. And, I really hate to say this, but things will be much, much worse when school starts. I'll have 2 and a half hours to shower, eat do homework, write, and catch up on reading some of my favorite fanfics. UGH! Well, I'll finish up my ramblings. Thanks so much for reading and please review!**

**P.S. Rose's namesake, I hope you like your new . . . daughter? LOL  
**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey, Everybody! I was going to write this yesterday, but I decided to give my new car a bath. Well, new to me car. I'm so happy I have a car now! I love it so much. I named it Woody, after my favorite actor, Woody Harrelson! :) I also had to seriously work on my Reaping chapter for the 24/24 collab I told you guys about. They're due this Sunday so I had to get it done. Well, I'll shut up and let you read now. Read on!  
**

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Chapter Twenty

Ivy Mellark's POV

_*Two Months Later*_

Today is the day of Damian Foster's trial. Even though I know that he'll be in prison by the end of the day, I still wake up with a cloud of worry hovering around me. I can't help but think that he will end up being set free, despite the large amount of evidence we have against him.

What is still bothering me is why he kidnapped me. Damian and I have shared laboratory space since we were both freshmen. Over the years, we had spent countless late nights in our lab, ordering takeout so we wouldn't have to stop our work. I considered him a friend. So, why would he have done this to me?

I am still pondering this when there is a knock at the door of my room in the hospital. I've been staying in the hospital since I was rescued, going through psycho-therapy to get over my fear of men and to help me cope with any post-traumatic stress.

"Come in," I tell my visitor and then Lilac, my younger sister, pops her head into my room.

"Hey, sis, how are you doing today?" Lilac asks me.

"I'm a little nervous, but other than that, I'm fine." I tell her with what I hope is a reassuring smile. "Where's Ash? You guys have been attached at the hip since Christmas vacation."

"Oh, well, I thought it would be better if he waited out in the lobby." Lilac tells me.

"Lilac, Ash and I had our session and I'm okay to be around him." I tell my sister. Over the last eight weeks, I've had my sessions with my Uncle Gale, his son Liam, my Uncle Nash, and then his son Ash.

Of course, the only session I haven't had yet is the one I am dying to have: my session with Alex. I've been missing him more and more as the weeks have progressed. I know that Dr. Sapphire wants to save him for last because of our close relationship, but it's really starting to kill me on the inside not to be around him. I love him.

"I know, I know. Anyway, we're all going to get some breakfast. You wanna come with?" Lilac offers. I accept and we head out to meet the rest of our family in the lobby.

Over the last few months, my family has just been extraordinarily wonderful. They've all been completely understanding and accommodating; all the men in the family especially. They've all given me my space when I need it and then they all come around when I need them to. I've been making sure to spend time around them, both with other women around and on my own.

I walk over and give my dad a hug. He's really been great these last few months. He hugs me back, pulling me close to his side. I look around at everyone. Lilac had moved over to Ash, who is leaning against a wall of the lobby. I was a little surprised when they started dating but, after seeing how happy my sister has been, I'm glad that they're together.

Liam and Finn are just chilling out together. I take note of the dark circles underneath my younger brother's eyes. Lately, he's been so tired. I just hope he isn't spreading himself too thin with helping me, school, and his swimming.

My older brother and twin, Phoenix, and his girlfriend, Harper, are sitting together on one of the couches in the lobby. Harper has been great, both with helping me and Phoenix. Phoenix is one of those guys that's in touch with his feelings, but he doesn't like to burden other people with how he is feeling, especially when they're going through something themselves. That's why I'm glad Phoenix has Harper, he can talk to her. Plus, it's obvious they're in love.

My mom, Aunt Effie, Uncle Haymitch, Aunt Johanna, Uncle Nash, and Uncle Gale are all in the middle of a conversation. I really don't think I would have been able to get through all this if they hadn't been here to help me; mom especially. It helps to know that all the women in our family have been through traumatic incidents, but managed to live through them. We are definitely a family of very strong, mentally and physically, women.

And then my eyes fall on Alex. He's sitting in a red chair in the lobby, twiddling his thumbs. He must be nervous. He always twiddles his thumbs when he's nervous about something. I can't help but smile as I watch him. He must have recently shaved, because his face looks incredibly smooth and soft. His short, curly, reddish-brown hair is practically perfect.

I just want to run over and hug him as tightly as I possibly can. But I can't, at least not yet. But I still have the desire to. It's crazy how much I've been missing him lately. Especially since we had the huge fight before I was kidnapped.

Technically, we were broken up right now. Alex had said we should take a break during our fight. I had left, incredibly angry at him. That was when I was kidnapped. Surely, he's been blaming himself since I was taken. He always does that sort of thing.

He looks up quickly, as if he could feel my gaze upon him. Our eyes meet and my heart constricts. He is looking at me with so much love that I have to choke back tears. I wish I could just go over to him and run my fingers through his gorgeous hair. I wish I could kiss his lips and tell him how much I love him.

Our eye contact is broken when we all start heading to the diner where we will be having breakfast. Alex stays a respectful distance away from me, probably afraid that I will become agitated if he is too close. Really, since my first week after being rescued, I haven't had any negative reactions to any of the men I've had my sessions with.

We arrive at the diner and take our seats at the table we reserved. Usually, reservations aren't taken here, but since we had such a large group, they made an exception. In no time at all, we're all having a huge discussion. After breakfast, we all head our separate ways to get ready of Damian Foster's trial. Really, I don't even technically have to go. I already gave my testimony. But, I still feel the need to go. Plus, my family wants to be there when he gets his sentence.

In the courtroom, I sit between my mom and my Uncle Haymitch, who has one arm around his wife, Effie, and the other around me. I think he's been having a rough few months. My kidnapping must have reminded him so much of when he rescued Effie from the Capitol prison during the Rebellion.

The trial starts. The jury listens intently as the defense attorney and the Capitol attorney as they each interview Damian and others, such as the officers that worked my case. The whole thing takes about two hours, but it only feels like a few minutes to me.

At the last minute, the defense attorney brings to attention a psychological evaluation done on Damian. It sounds like he is trying to make is sound like Damian isn't at fault because he wasn't mentally sound. I can feel my heart rate pick up. They can't let him go free after what he did. But I also feel like this would be an explanation as to why Damian did this to me. I feel so conflicted!

The jury goes to make their verdict. Half an hour later, they return. The judge asks for the jury's verdict and one of the members stands us.

"We the jury finds Damian Foster guilty for the kidnapping and attempted homicide of Ivy Mellark." I let out a breath I hadn't know I was holding. Uncle Haymitch hugs me to his side and places a kiss on the top of my head. I lean back a little and catch a glimpse of Alex, who is sitting all the way on the end of the seat. He has his head leant back and I watch a single tear slide from his eye.

"Now for the sentence," The judge says. "I, hereby, sentence Damian Xavier Foster to one life time in federal prison." I can't help but feel both happy and sad. I am happy that he won't be able to hurt me or anyone else again, but I am sad that he is going to prison for life.

We all move out of the courtroom and end up on the outside steps. Hugs are going around our group like crazy. After a particularly tight hug from Finn, I catch Alex looking over at me. He smiles when our eyes meet and then mouths "I love you" to me. I swallow hard, tears threatening to spill over my eyes. "I love you too" I mouth back, a few tears slipping from my eyes.

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**Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww! Next chapter Alex and Ivy might actually speak to each other. I have been waiting so long for that to happen! I miss writing them together! I just love them so much! Thanks for reading and please leave me a review! :)  
**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey, Everybody! I just couldn't wait to give you guys this chapter! I love it so much! AHHHHH! Read on, Read on! **

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Chapter Twenty-One

Ivy Mellark's POV

_*One Week Later*_

I can't help the nervous jittering of my leg as I sit across from Dr. Sapphire. Today is my session with Alex and I'm growing increasingly anxious with each passing minute. I'm terrified that I'll have a bad reaction to him or something after all this time of us being apart.

"Ivy, you can relax. I'm sure that this session will go smoothly." Dr. Sapphire tells me with a smile.

"I guess I'm just nervous. Alex and I haven't really talked or anything since . . ." I trail off and Dr. Sapphire nods.

"Everything is going to go fine. I can tell that you both love each other. Love conquers all," She tells me before getting up to go to the door of her office. She tells Alex to come in and then he's there, just a few feet away from me.

He sits down and our eyes lock. I can't help the huge smile that spreads out on my face as we look at each other. He smiles back at me, his gentle grey-blue eyes sparkling.

"Ivy, why don't you tell me what you're thinking right now," Dr. Sapphire prompts.

"Honestly, I really want to kiss him." I say with a light chuckle. Alex laughs, too.

"Besides that, what are you feeling?" Dr. Sapphire asks.

"Well, I have some giant butterflies in my stomach right now and I'm a little nervous, but I'm not scared or anything." I answer, never breaking eye contact with Alex.

"That's great. Now, Alex, I want you to ask Ivy if you can give her a hug." Dr. Sapphire instructs. This has been the first step for every man I've had a session with: Initiating physical contact.

"Ivy, can I hug you?" He asks me, his voice wavering from his own nervousness. I nod and we both stand up.

Alex hesitates for a minute, like he's not sure how to go about giving me a hug. I, on the other hand, can't wait any longer and I launch myself into his arms. He wraps his arms tightly around me and we cling to each for dear life. I feel tears streaming down my face as I lean my head onto his shoulder. One of Alex's hands goes up to stroke my hair and I squeeze him even tighter. After a good ten minutes of holding each other, Alex and I finally break our embrace. We take a seat on the couch, ready to continue with our session.

"Ivy, how do you feel after that hug?" Dr. Sapphire asks me.

"Completely amazing," I tell her, wiping my wet cheeks with my hand.

"Good. Now, I do believe that Alex wants to ask you something." Dr. Sapphire tells me and I look over to Alex.

"Um . . . well, I don't want to make you think about what he did to you, but, Ivy, I really need to know. It's tearing me apart not knowing." Alex says, never actually asking me his question.

"You can ask me anything," I assure him, grasping his hand in mine. He squeezes my hand back and then continues.

"Did he . . . did he . . . sexually assault you?" Alex asks me, fumbling over his own words.

"No," I answer quickly and truthfully. Alex nods a few times, obviously relieved at my answer.

"Alright, now, I believe Alex has planned a special date for the two of you, if you're up to it." Dr. Sapphire tells me.

"Of course I'm up for it," I reply with a smile. "Are you going to tell me or is it a surprise?" I ask Alex.

"Surprise," He answers with a smirk, kissing the knuckles of the hand he is clutching.

Our session ends and we separate, making plans to meet in the lobby in just two hours from now. I call Lilac and my Aunt Effie, hoping they can help me get ready for tonight. Since it is our first date after our technical break up, I want to make sure I look absolutely stunning.

Lilac and Effie come right over. Lilac lends me a skirt of hers that is white and flows down to my knees. I wear a white blouse and then a midnight blue sweater over it. Even though it's May, the night air is still a little chilly. I ask both of them if they know anything about tonight, but they won't answer me.

Two hours later, Alex is walking towards me in the lobby. He is wearing a pair a dark washed jeans and a black, button down shirt. I must say that he looks very, very handsome.

"Ready?" He asks me as he extends his hand towards me.

"Ready," I tell him as I take his hand. He leads me outside where his Jeep is awaiting us. We hop into his Jeep and starts driving us away.

"Where are we going?" I ask him, not recognizing where we are going.

"It's a surprise," He tells me with a grin. I smile back, but there is a feeling of anxiety in my chest. I take a moment to remind myself that this is Alex and that he would never hurt me. We arrive at a small grassy area surrounded by a few boulders. We both get out and I watch as Alex unloads the back of his Jeep. He sets up a blanket on the grass and then he pulls out a picnic basket.

"I thought you might like just getting away from the hospital and getting to look at the stars." Alex tells me as we take a seat on the blanket.

"You were right," I tell him. "This is nice." Alex unloads the picnic basket, handing me a slice of pizza. I look up at him, a bit befuddled.

"I figure is must be a while since you've had pizza." He tells me. I continue to give him a suspicious look. "Okay, fine, I didn't know what to cook you. I just figured this was a safe bet." I laugh at him as I take a bite of the pizza.

For the next hour or so, we sit together, eating and talking. There's so much we have to tell each other after being apart for almost four months. He tells me about the little bit of progress he managed to get done on his graduation project. I tell him about all my sessions. We tell each other how much we've missed each other.

"I was so afraid I was going to lose you," Alex tells me, looking deeply into my eyes.

"I was so afraid I wouldn't be able to be near you," I tell him, grasping his hand in mine and holding on tightly.

"I love you," He tells me, his eyes watering with tears.

"I love you, too." I tell him, running my hand over his cheek. I use my hand to bring his face closer to mine. I tilt my head up and bring my lips to his. Our lips touch and I see fireworks behind my closed eyes. I wrap my arms around his neck to bring him closer to me. His lips feel so warm and gentle. After a few moments, we break apart and just stare into each other's eyes. Above us, in the dark, night's sky, a single star shoots across the moon.

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**AHHHHH I LOVE IT SO MUCH! I just think that Alex's date was perfect! And I really love the ending! :D :D :D :D I think we have some love triangle drama coming up soon (What love triangle? you ask, well, you'll just have to wait and find out, mwahahahaha) and of course more IvyXAlex! Plus, we'll find out why Damian kidnapped and tortured Ivy! Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review on your way out! ;)**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey, Everybody! I tried to write this yesterday but I just wasn't feeling it! You should all be thankful for the rain because if my tennis match hadn't been rained out, you would have had to wait until *GASP* next week for this! So, yay for rain! Well, as promised, a love triangle awaits you! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Twenty-Two

Ash Hemlock's POV

"Where's Finn?" Liam asks me as I take a seat at the bar he's tending at.

"He's ditching us, again." I tell him. Liam, Finn, and I have been coming to hang out at this bar for six months, even though none of us are old enough to actually consume any alcohol. Liam got a job as a bartender a few months ago.

"We're in the last month of school. He should be starting to take it easy." Liam says as I he hands me a soda. It is true that Finn has been working himself way too hard these last couple of weeks. I swear he never has any free time to just relax. He's trying to keep the family happy by spending time with them, he's trying to keep his professors happy by going to class and actually doing homework and studying, and he's trying to keep his swim coach happy by practicing at least two hours a day.

Liam calls to his boss that he's taking his break and then hops over the bar counter to take a seat beside me. I feel a bit awkward hanging out with Liam alone, especially since I'm dating his ex-girlfriend. Honestly, when we're together, we avoid talking about Lilac like she's the plague.

"You got any plans for the summer?" I ask Liam as I grab a handful of free peanuts.

"There's an internship here in the Capitol I could do. It's actually a pretty cool opportunity. There would be about five of us and the engineer we'd be interning would take us around all the Districts to teach us all about the different types of engineering." Liam responds.

"Wow," I say. "You should totally do it." I encourage.

"I've been thinking about it. I guess I'm a bit unrelenting about not spending the summer with the family, you know?" Liam replies.

"You know everyone would support whatever decision you make." I assure him.

"Yeah, I guess you are right," Liam chuckles. "What about you? You got any big plans?" Liam asks me.

"Not really," I tell him. "I'll probably spend most of my time writing songs and practicing. Mom told me that I might get a chance to play at the summer carnival. That'd be pretty cool."

"That would be cool!" Liam says.

"Yeah," I reply. "Lilac really wants us to do duet together or something." And, just as I say it, I regret it. I can sense Liam's muscles tense up when I mention Lilac.

Lilac had told me that their break up was mutual, but there has always been a part of me that knows that Liam still has feelings for Lilac. They dated for almost four years! There's bound to be some sort of remaining feelings between the two of them.

"So, you and Lilac are . . . ah . . . doing well together? Liam asks me, obviously trying to hide the hint of anger from his voice.

"Yeah," I tell him, taking a sip from my soda. I should have known he'd be angry about Lilac and I dating. I told Lilac in the very beginning of our relationship that I didn't want to betray Liam. We're best friends! She had assured me that everything was fine. I really should have known better. Lilac and Liam dated for four years. He loved her. He probably still does.

"Hawthorne, get back to work!" A man from behind the bar counter demands Liam. Liam sighs and then slides back to the other side of the bar. He's mixing some drinks when he speaks to me again.

"You know, I could tell she liked you the second after you kissed her. From that moment on, our relationship was never the same." Liam tells me, his eyes growing dark as he speaks. "Sure, I was committed to the relationship. I wanted it to work, that's why I forgave her and moved on. But she was never fully committed; At least not as committed as I was. I never got a fair shot, because of _you._" He practically spits the last word in my direction.

"Hey, just because she didn't want to stay with your sorry ass doesn't make that _my _fault." I spit back in response. There's a quick flash of anger in his eyes and then I'm being hurtled to the ground, Liam above me. I hear a crash and a sharp pain jolts through my shoulder as Liam and I collide with a table, the wood cracking beneath our momentum and depositing us onto the floor among the rubble.

"She and I would have been happy if it weren't for you," Liam shouts at me, bringing his fist back for a punch. Pain shoots through my left cheek as his knuckles collide with my face.

"She's happier with me than she would have ever been with you," I retaliate, bringing my knee up to knee him hard in the stomach. He rolls to the side, groaning in pain. I take this as an opportunity to get up off of the floor. Liam is right behind me and I find myself being slammed hard into a wall.

"What kind of best friend steals his best friend's girl?" He seethes at me through his clenched teeth. He's holding my up by the collar of my shirt. He's a good three or four inches taller than me and his black hair and blue eyes make him even more menacing.

"I didn't steal her from you! She wanted to date me!" I tell him, trying to wriggle from his grasp. Liam just holds me harder against the wall. He opens his mouth, about to say something, when we hear the sirens. We both look over to the entrance of the bar to see two police officers heading over to us. _Great, this is just great. _

Liam and I are both cuffed and practically shoved into the back of a police car. The right is silent as we head towards the Capitol police station. Great, now I'm going to have to call Lilac and tell her that Liam and I got into a fight and were arrested. This should go over well . . . not.

"You get one phone call," A more than annoyed, gruff officer tells me, gesturing towards the phone, that's bolted to the wall, with a jerk of his thumb. I go over to the phone and dial Lilac's cell phone number.

"Hello?" Lilac answers on the third ring.

"Hey, um . . . listen, I have to tell you something, but I don't want you to freak out, okay?" I ask Lilac.

"What is it?" Lilac asks me.

"I kind of need you to come bail me out of prison," I tell her, completely dreading her reaction.

"What?" She asks me, her voice raising an octave or two.

"Liam and I got into a fight and I need you to come bail us out." I explain. Lilac huffs but then tells me she'll be right there. After my phone call, the officer leads me to the cell Liam and I are to wait for Lilac to arrive in. Liam and I sit in awkward silence. Both my shoulder and my face are throbbing with pain. Liam's side my hurt a little because he winces when he leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees. I kind of hope I broke a rib . . .

Lilac appears in front of the cell and Liam and both perk up at once. I internally scowl. He doesn't have any right to perk up when _my _girlfriend enters the room. The officer lets us out of the cell and I go to hug Lilac when she just turns around and starts walking away. _Ah, crap. _

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**Somebody's in TROUBLE! I wonder what's going to happen? Will Lilac break it off with Ash? Will Liam decide to mess things up between Ash and Lilac so he can have her? Will Ash and Liam end up gay for each other?! I don't know! Thanks so much for reading and don't forget to review ;) Another chapter should be coming soon, at least I really hope so!**_  
_


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey, Everybody! WOOO Two chapters in one day! And it's not even the weekend! WHOO! I hope you like this one. I know some you have been asking yourselves' why ever since Ivy was kidnapped. Well, why shall be discovered tonight! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Twenty-Three

Ivy Mellark's POV

"I really missed this," I tell Alex as we walk hand and hand through one of the malls in the Capitol. I had tried to tell him I didn't need anything, but he insisted on taking me shopping. He said he wanted to spoil me. He is such a hopeless romantic.

"Me too," Alex tells me as leans a bit closer into me. This is our third official date since our session with Dr. Sapphire and things are going absolutely wonderful. I thought it might be awkward because we technically broke up before I was kidnapped, but it wasn't. I think we were just so glad that we could finally be together again after being apart for so long.

Alex leads me to a bookstore. Of course he knows this is where my resolve will crumble. All day, I've been telling him that there's nothing that I need or want, well, other than him. But put me in a store with nothing but shelves filled with books and you're bound to end up paying a few hundred bucks to the cashier.

As soon as we cross into the bookstore, Alex and I are both completely lost to the world. This is one of the things I love about us being together. We could just spend an entire day looking through shelf after shelf of books together. We both love to read and learn.

We've been lending each other books for as long as I can remember. When we were writing our Christmas lists, we would get together and split all the books we wanted between our lists, promising to let the other borrow them any time they wanted. We would spend hours just talking about characters and plot twists, etc. etc.

Two hours later, Alex and I end up in the food court, a huge bag of books sitting in a chair at our table. We both decided on hamburgers from a popular fast food place.

"So, do you have any other plans for today?" Alex asks me. I take a deep breath before responding, fearing of how he'll react to what I was planning on doing today.

"Well, I was going to go visit Damian," I say, not looking at Alex.

"What?" Alex asks me. The feeling of his heavy gaze on me forces me to face him. In his eyes there is a mixture of confusion and fear. I knew he wouldn't want me to go.

"You heard me," I tell him. There's no point in repeating myself. He already knows exactly what I said.

"Why?" He asks me, his tone telling me that he thinks this is the stupidest idea he's ever heard in his entire life.

"He was a friend," I tell him weakly.

"He kidnapped you!" Alex seethes at me, trying to keep him voice down so we don't attract stares.

"I know that, Alex! I was there!" I seethe back at him before standing up and leaving our table. I can hear Alex's quick footfall behind me.

"Ivy, Ivy, I'm sorry." He tells me once he catches up to me. "I just . . . I'm just afraid, okay?"

"You don't have to be afraid. He's in prison." I reply, running my hand up his arm.

"I'll always be afraid. I don't ever want to lose you again." He tells me, bringing his lips close enough to brush against mine. After our kiss, Alex and I head back to grab our books before going back to campus. It takes me about half an hour to convince Alex that I don't need him to come with me to see Damian, but he still makes me take his car instead of walking. He is definitely a worry wart.

I enter the prison through the visitor's section and am then escorted a wall of windows with little barriers every three feet, for privacy I presume. I hear footfalls and crane my neck to see Damian Foster, my kidnapper and previous laboratory mate, being led down the hall opposite the glass barrier.

He is unmistakable, with his dark brown hair and pale blue eyes. His tanned skin and dark hair are quite the contrast to his bright orange, inmate jumpsuit. As I take in his appearance, I find it really hard to believe that this is the man that kidnapped and tortured me. The Damian Foster I knew wasn't a psychopath. That's why I'm here. I need to find out why, why he kidnapped me and tortured me for two weeks.

"Hi," I say into a phone that allows visitors to communicate with the inmates.

"What do you want?" He asks me. Of course he's not excited to see me. I am the reason he received a life sentence.

"I just thought I'd come visit you. We were friends, you know, before . . ." I trail off quietly.

"We were never friends. You had your boyfriend and your siblings and your real friends." Damian replies, his voice as icy as it was when he hand me chained to a chair in the basement of his deceased parents' cottage.

"That's not true." I tell him. "We had fun in the lab together."

"Yeah, sure," Damian scoffs. "You know, it's not fair that someone like you has the kind of brain you have."

"What do you mean?" I ask him, confused.

"You have a perfect family and you have great friends. It's not fair that you're smart, too." Damian practically spits at me.

"Is that why?" I ask him, looking him directly in the eyes.

"Is that why for what?" He asks me, an annoyed expression on his face.

"Is that why you kidnapped me and then tortured me?" I elaborate.

"You don't deserve the life you have. I doubt you've ever felt any hurt in your entire life!" Damian spits. "You have perfect parents, perfect siblings, and perfect friends! Everything you have is perfect! And you don't deserve it!"

"Damian, I know that your parents –" I am cut off by another of Damian's rants.

"Don't you dare say a damn thing about my parents! You have no right! I should have never let you go! I should have killed you when I had the chance!" Damian is shouting at this point, pounding on the six inches of glass between us. I am slowly inching my chair away when three or four officers come over and subdue Damian and then put him back in hand cuffs and lead him away.

My heart is pounding hard against my ribcage, blood throbbing so loudly in my temples that I can't hear anything else. I get up from my chair, using the wall to help stable my shaky legs. Okay, so maybe Alex was right. This might not have been one of my brightest ideas.

I just had to know so badly! And, now, I guess I do. Damian Foster was jealous of my, so called, perfect life. Little does he know that my life has never been and surely won't ever be completely perfect.

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***GASP* Could this be foreshadowing something? Something that could happen in, say, another sequel? *hinthintnudgenudge* I guess we'll find out someday . . . Don't worry, this story will be going to about 35 chapters so we have a bit before its over. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey**, **Everybody! I'm so sorry I didn't update over the weekend! But, I did buy my Hunger Games DVD and force my parents to watch it with me. My dad really liked it. Did you guys get your copies? I got the mockingjay pendant with mine, too, so I'm super happy! Yesterday, I played at least five hours of tennis and didn't get home until 8 o'clock :(. Anyhow, I'll stop reading and let you guys read. Read on!**

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Chapter Twenty-Four

Alexander Abernathy's POV

The spring sun warms my back as Ivy and I sit together on a blanket in a park that is only about a five minute walk from Panem University's campus. Ivy looks beautiful, as usual, with her hair in the same braid her mother still wears, cut off shorts, and a tank top.

It's mid-May and the weather is the nicest it's been since the previous summer. The bite of winter took a bit longer than usual to melt this year. A breeze blows through the park, ruffling the green leaves on the trees. Ivy leans against my chest as we sit together underneath a big oak tree, watching some people play a game of disc golf.

"Are you nervous for tonight?" Ivy asks me. Tonight is the night we present our graduation projects to the heads of the department we are majoring in. Both Ivy and I have to present to the Science department tonight, in hopes of impressing them.

I know Ivy will do absolutely wonderfully. She loves any chance she can get to tell people about her project. She just loves talking about anything and everything science related. I have no doubts that Ivy will make an amazing doctor after she graduates from medical school.

I, on the other hand, have a large fear of public speaking. I absolutely dreaded and loathed in throughout my years in high school. I would much rather sit behind my microscope and study the smallest life forms on earth and how they work than give a huge speech in front of dozens of finely dressed people.

"A little bit," I tell Ivy as I kiss her shoulder, her dark brown hair tickling my face as the wind blows through it.

Ivy is the most beautiful woman on the face of the earth, both inside and out. Her beautiful brown hair blends perfectly with her grey eyes. Her tall and lean body leaves my staring after her even after she has disappeared from my sight. Her beautiful hands that can knock someone twice her size down onto the ground can also give comfort with a gentle touch.

Her caring and compassionate attitude towards everyone she meets makes you believe that there is still something good left in the world. The way she can figure out the most complex math or philosophy problems, but can also find humor in most situations is magnificent.

Ivy and I decide that it's time that we go and start getting ready to present our graduation projects to the heads of the Science department. Attire is formal so that means I get to wear a suit, a monkey suit. But, it also means that I can see Ivy is a beautiful, floor length dress. I can't wait.

Three hours later, I am standing in front of the mirror in my dorm bathroom, having one hell of a time attempting to tie my tie. I hear a knock on my door and then whoever it is just lets their self in. Of course, it's Ivy. She's the only one that ever walks right into mine and Ethan's dorm room.

"Do you need help?" Ivy asks me, a smirk on her face and a twinkle of mirth in her beautiful grey eyes. She is wearing a floor length, midnight blue dress with black heels and her hair is up in a bun. She looks absolutely stunning.

"What do you think?" I reply, giving her my 'I'm pathetic without you' look. Ivy just chuckles as she takes my black tie into her hands and delicately and easily ties it for me. "What would I do without you?" I ask her with a smile.

"Embarrass yourself in front of all the members of the science department," She tells me before giving me a quick peck on the lips. I grab my suit jacket and then we head to the auditorium in the science wing where the presentation of our graduation projects will be. After Ivy and I present ours, we have to move quickly to the fine arts building to make it in time to see Phoenix and Harper's graduation projects.

Ivy goes first and I find myself completely entranced, both by her experiments concerning the different long term and short term side effects that come with the use of stimulant drugs and by her beauty. There is just a certain demeanor that Ivy takes on when she is talking about something she cares about. She just entrances you with her words. She definitely got that quality from her father.

Forty-five minutes later, we are all clapping as Ivy descends the steps from the stage. It is very clear that the heads of the department are very pleased with her experiments and their results. I never doubted that for a second, though. Ivy is a great scientist.

"You're up," She tells me as we take a brief moment together before I have to go up. "If you get really nervous, just look at me and pretend you're telling me about your experiments. I promise you'll be fine." She gives me a quick kiss on the cheek, careful not to leave any lipstick on my skin, and then goes to take her seat.

I take a deep breath and the take my place on the stage, behind the podium. Like Ivy, I also have a power point presentation to aid in my overall presentation. Just as I am about start, I find that my throat and mouth have gone incredibly dry. I swallow and then find Ivy in the sea of people. She smiles at me encouragingly so I take another deep breath and begin my presentation.

Once I start, I find myself flowing easily through everything I've spent the last four years doing, from my preliminary experiments, to the more difficult ones. I explain everything I did in easy to understand detail. The power point slides help dramatically, taking everyone's eyes off of me and averting them to the pictures I have presented them with.

By the time my presentation is over, I have successfully managed to break a sweat and get a very encouraging round of applause. Of course, the department's section wasn't the section with the loudest applause. That honor belonged to the family section, where I'm sure Ivy's hands were stinging with so much clapping. I do love that woman so much.

I have barely walked halfway to Ivy when she practically runs to me and gives me one hell of a kiss. We laugh together as we pull apart, both aware of our incredibly public display of affection. Of course, Peeta doesn't look too pleased with me right now. Oh well, he'll get over it.

We all start heading to the Fine Arts building on campus. I give Ivy my jacket, noticing the goose bumps that have spread across her arms. She gives me a kiss in response and then I wrap my arm around her shoulders, holding her close to me for the rest of the walk.

The night air is chilly and the moon and stars shine brightly against the dark blue back drop of the night sky. Ivy watches the stars as we walk. Ever since our first official date after Ivy's kidnapping, she loves to just watch the stars. We've spent a few other nights lying on the grass, attempting to find all the constellations we can. I love spending that time with Ivy, holding her close as we watch the stars; Most of the time we will have a picnic while we do it, making a night out of the simple action. I know Ivy's favorite part is when we occasionally catch a glimpse of a shooting star. My favorite part is just holding Ivy, the love of my life.

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**Can you guys say "AWWWWWWWWWW"? I just love Alex! I can't wait until I start the sequel to this story! I have so much in store for our favorite couple! Coming up soon: Some Phoenix and Harper, some trouble in Lilac's love life, some more Alex and Ivy romance, and a new journey for Finn! I can't wait! **

**Also, I start school on Friday! Which means that I will have very limited amounts of time to update. I'm so sorry! It makes me so sad knowing I won't get to update as often as you guys deserve, but I'm going to absolutely try my best for one or two (maybe even three) a week. Most of them will probably be during the weekend. It's a good thing I have a four day weekend for Labor Day and I'm stuck at home dog sitting! That should be a productive weekend! Thanks for reading guys. You're all amazingly awesome! Don't forget to review! Reviews are like little bursts of inspiration!  
**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey, Every****body! Here's another chapter! This one focuses on a character that we don't usually spend a whole lot of time with. Well, I'd like that to change in the last leg of this story and then carry over into the next. I don't really think I've explored the depths of this character nearly enough. I'm a little worried I won't be able to quite do him the justice he deserves. Without further ado, Read on!**

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Chapter Twenty-Five

Phoenix Mellark's POV

I shift my weight nervously from one foot to the other. I've put so much effort into this painting and it is killing me not knowing how the heads of the Fine Arts department are going to react to it. Harper looks absolutely stunning in her floor length yellow dress. It goes perfectly with her brown hair and chocolate brown eyes.

Harper is a magnificent sculptor! It's amazing the things she can create with just a pile of clay. And I love watching her work. She always looks her most beautiful when she's got clay caked under her fingernails and her hair is in a messy ponytail.

Everything about her is perfection in my eyes. I've never met anyone that understood me and my art the way Harper does. I barely ever have to explain anything to her, either. She just gets me. It really is wonderful to have that one person that just gets you.

I haven't told anyone this yet, but I've decided that I want to propose to Harper. I know she's the one for me and I have no doubts that we'll be together forever. I know that I want to wait until we're back in District 12, but other than that, I have no idea how I'm going to propose. I just know that it has to be absolutely perfect.

I smile as my family walks into the art gallery that has been set up for tonight's presentations. Ivy and Alex must have just finished their own presentations in the Science wing. Both my mom and dad wave over at me, huge smiles on their faces. I know that it's been kind of hard on both of them having all of their kids so far away from home. It does make me feel kind of guilty for choosing to stay in the Capitol to eventually open up my own art gallery.

Both Ivy and Alex, I know, will end up staying in the Capitol, too. Alex is hoping to get a job as a research scientist at Panem University and Ivy will probably end up as a doctor at one of the many hospitals in the Capitol. Really, we'll all probably end up living somewhere other than our homes in District 12. Thank God for modern transportation. Mom and dad will forever only be a train ride away.

Twenty minutes later, the spotlight is all on me. My painting, ten feet long, four feet tall, is hanging on one of the walls of the art gallery. After introducing myself and my piece, _War_, I begin to explain what is and what it symbolizes.

In my painting, there are seventy-five figures. Each and every one of them symbolizes a victor of the Hunger Games, a gruesome battle to the death with children as the partakers. My parents, my Grandpa Haymitch, and Aunt Johanna were forced to battle for their lives in arenas created by the Gamemakers.

My painting is painted in rich of red and yellow, green and blue, black and white. The heads of the department take an agonizingly long time studying my painting. My heart is thumping my chest so hard that I fear it will burst from my ribcage. If they like my painting enough, there is a chance I could get a grant that would help bring my dream of an art gallery to a reality.

After ten long, agonizing minutes, the heads of the fine art department all turn to me and smile and nod. I feel the relief flood through my body and a weight lift from my chest. I shake hands with and thank them all before going over to my family, where I receive lots of hugs.

Once all the paintings have gone through their judging, we move onto sculptures. Harper is up first and I can tell how nervous she is. She really shouldn't be nervous. Her sculpture is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen; well, besides Harper herself.

She catches my eye and we smile at each other from across the room. Harper's floor length, yellow dress makes her look absolutely breathtaking tonight. I am a very lucky man to have such a wonderful woman in my life. I could never imagine loving anyone else the way I love Harper.

The attention turns to her sculpture as she begins to introduce it. Her sculpture is one of an ancient Greek god called Apollo who is the god of music and poetry, posed with a bow strung and pointed to the west, to the setting sun. Harper really did a wonderful job of possessing the essence of Apollo in her artwork. It's truly amazing.

The heads of the department see how magnificent Harper's work is just as well as I did. Obvious relief floods through her features as she shakes hands with the department heads and thanks them repeatedly.

I smile at her as she walks over to me, her yellow dress swaying with her body. She doesn't even have a chance to say anything before I am embracing her in a hug. Her body feels warm against mine and I can feel how hard her heart is beating against her chest.

"You did great." I tell her as my arms wrap around her waist.

"So did you," She replies, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. We pull far enough apart to allow our lips to meet in a gentle kiss. Her lips feel smooth against mine and I can taste her strawberry lip gloss.

"I can't believe that we could have our very own art gallery a year from now," Harper breathes in disbelief as we stand together.

"It's crazy," I tell her with a grin. Harper just laughs in agreement. We watch the rest of the presentations, my arm wrapped around Harper's shoulders.

I find myself getting lost in my thoughts on how to propose to Harper. I know I should probably talk to her father about it first. If that's not a scary thought, I don't know what is. Really, Harper's dad has never been overtly hostile to me. I like to think that maybe he actually really likes me. I treat his daughter right and I really do love her.

I really want my proposal to be perfect. Harper loves art, so I would like to incorporate that into my proposal in some way. Maybe I could take her somewhere where we would paint together and then propose? I don't know!

I still have to pick out a ring, too. That'll be a little hard since I don't really have a whole lot of money right now. After a few weeks working at the bakery, I should have enough to buy a nice ring for Harper. I need to make sure I buy her the perfect ring. She really deserves nothing less.

I want to make sure I do right by her. Harper is the most amazing woman I've ever had in my life. She makes me feel alive when we're together. I can be myself with her and not have to worry that she thinks I'm crazy. When we're together, everything feels right. I love her.

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**I know it's pretty short, but I really didn't know what else to do with this chapter. I'm sorry if it sucked and was boring. I just really wanted to get into Phoenix's head more and I hope I can do it more and better soon. I really do love him. I love all my characters. Before the end of this story, I hope you all come to see Harper as part of the family, too. After all, she might be a Mellark by the next story! Thanks so much for reading and please leave me a review!**

**P.S. I hate to say this, but this will probably be my last update of the week. Hopefully, I can get a chapter or two up this weekend for you guys before school really gets going. Honestly, I'd rather write this story all day, every day, then go to Algebra 2 :P Oh well, maybe all this schooling will pay off some day and you'll all be buying copies of my best selling novels :).  
**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey, Everybody! Sorry I didn't update yesterday! I was trying to help get my car fixed. It's still dead :'(. Anyhow! In this chapter you get some Finn! Yay! Well, go ahead, Read on!  
**

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Chapter Twenty-Six

Finn Mellark's POV

I take in several mouthfuls of air and grab a towel to dry myself off with. It's barely seven in the morning and I just finished practicing my 400 meter breaststroke. I've been in the pool since five o'clock this morning.

My swim coach, Coach Scott, has been really cracking the whip on me these last few weeks. I've been in the pool practicing before classes, in between classes, and after classes. Coach even got me a professional nutritionist to set up meals for me that would provide the amount of calories I need, but would also keep my muscles strong and healthy and give me enough energy. I'm not allowed to have any caffeine; my sugar intake is limited, as is my fat intake. Most of my diet is lean protein and vegetables.

I haven't really had a lot of free time for the last few weeks. I feel really bad, because I haven't been able to spend as much time as I would have liked to with Ivy while she was recovering. Now, she's practically back to normal. She gained back the weight she had lost. She and Alex are back in their relationship. And she seems happy, which is the important thing.

After drying off and receiving a protein packed breakfast sandwich from my nutritionist, I take a seat against the wall and start eating. As I bite into the sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich, I think about everything that Coach told me this morning.

Apparently, a committee has been set up for these "Olympics". On the committee, there is a representative from each District and then the Capitol. Right now, the committee is just trying to figure out whether or not these Olympic Games would benefit the country's economy to bother having them at all. Then, they'll have to figure out what sports will be held and where the first Olympic Games will be held.

Coach is sure that swimming will be one of the big sports, especially with all the swimmers from District 4. Running will probably be a big one, too. I've heard that the people in District 10 are really good runners. I'm sure there will be other things like wrestling and climbing, maybe even archery and equestrian sports.

Coach has been really pushing me these last couple of weeks. I know it's only because he's really excited about these games and he wants me to win as much as I can. Every day, I practice four different strokes for two hours each. First I do the back stroke, next the breast stroke, then the butterfly and end with my front crawl stroke, which is my fastest stroke out of the four.

I still remember the first time mom took me to the lake to teach me how to swim. It had been a warm June afternoon. Lilac was spending the day with dad in the bakery and Phoenix and Ivy were in school. So, mom thought it would be nice for her and me to do something together.

It took us about an hour to walk all the way out to the lake. It was a really long walk for just a small boy only four years of age. Nevertheless, I remember feeling incredibly ecstatic when mom and I finally reached the lake. The water was crystal clear and you could see all the fish swimming below the surface.

I was so excited that mom had to stop me from just jumping right in a few times. Mom got in first and then she held onto me while she kicked us around the lake, telling me how to kick me legs and move my arms. In less than two hours, mom and I were swimming around together, splashing each other. I even took a minute to scare some of the ducks that were sitting on the water.

That has to be my favorite memory from my childhood. If you ever asked, I would deny it, but I'm definitely a momma's boy. I guess I'd have to blame being the youngest one in the family for that. Mom has always been trying to take care of me. Even now, when I'm twenty years old, she still calls me to remind that I have to do laundry regularly, blah, blah, blah. It's nice to have family that cares, though, and I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world.

I finish my protein packed sandwich and then go to the weight lifting room. I usually eat two of my three meals in the gym so, after each of them, I do some weight lifting to keep my muscles toned and to let my digestive system digest my meal. This way I can still get some exercise in and I don't have to worry about getting a cramp and drowning.

When I worked as a lifeguard at the public pool in Eastern District 12, I actually ended up saving a couple of kids' lives because they got cramps while they were swimming. I really enjoyed being a lifeguard over the summer in District 12. The pay was great, most of the time I just had to sit in a chair, and all the girls thought it was the hottest job out there.

After an hour has gone by, I head back to the pool to finish off my last four hours of swimming. I still have to do my butterfly and front crawl stroke. Out of the four stokes I do, I would have to say that the butterfly is the hardest for me. I just find it awkward, the way I have to move my arms to propel myself forward. But, Coach Scoot wants me to master it just like all my other stokes, so, I guess I'll have to.

Four hours later, I pull myself out of the swimming pool. The skin on my fingers and toes is pruney and my muscles ache. I head into the locker room where I can shower and put on my regular clothes. I'm supposed to meet my siblings for lunch this afternoon. We haven't had any time for just the four of us to hang out lately. It seems that someone is always busy.

I walk into the diner just as Ivy, Phoenix, and Lilac are sitting down at their booth. My hair is still damp from my shower. After my shower, I realized I couldn't take my gym bag with me to the diner, so I ended up running all the way to my dorm and then back over here. That, of course, made it completely useless for me to have taken a shower.

"Always running late," Lilac teases as I slip into the booth next to her. I stick my tongue out at her before Ivy tells us both to behave.

"So, you had training this morning?" Ivy asks me.

"Yeah," I tell her.

"All morning?" Lilac asks me, her eyes growing wide. I nod and she rolls her eyes, muttering something about me being crazy under her breath.

For the next two hours, we eat and tell each other everything we've been up to. Next week is graduation and Phoenix and Ivy tell us about the party that Effie is planning to throw for them. Phoenix tells us about the space he and Harper looked at, thinking about possibly turning it into an art studio/gallery.

Lilac tells us all about the dilemma she's been having with Ash and Liam ever since she had to bail them both out of jail. Apparently, Ash has been trying super hard to get Lilac to talk to him and she's just been ignoring him. Ivy tells her she's not being fair, but I think that she can act however she wants. Plus, it's Lilac. She's going to do whatever she wants no matter what we tell her she should do.

Lilac starts to grill Ivy and Phoenix on their relationships. I listen intently as my siblings chat about their romantic relationships. For the last four years, Ivy and Alex have been dating, Phoenix and Harper have been dating, and Lilac's had about four different boyfriends. I'm the only one that has never really had a romantic relationship that's lasted for more than a week.

* * *

**Will Finn ever find someone to love?! I guess we'll find out eventually! Thanks so much for reading, guys! Now, next week is when school really starts going and I have three tennis matches I have to go to so I can't make any promises on the number of chapters I can write. I'm hoping I can get you one or two. But, on the upside, I have four days off for Labor Day and I'll be home alone watching my dogs so I can WRITE! Yay! Thanks for reading and Please leave me a review!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey, Everybody! I'm sorry it took me all week to get you guys a chapter! I've had at least five subjects worth of homework every night, plus tennis practice until five. Again, I'm sorry! And, of course, I have to write a paper this weekend and i have an Algebra test on Tuesday. The first week of school and I've already been assigned two papers. Ugh! Well, I hope I can get you guys another chapter today, but if I can't, you can be sure that you'll get at least two more before I go back to school on Tuesday. I have a four day weekend and I plan on using it to my advantage! Anyhow, without further ado, Read on!  
**

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Chapter Twenty-Seven

Lilac Mellark's POV

It's been about a week since I had to bail both my boyfriend, Ash Hemlock, and ex-boyfriend, Liam Hawthorne, out of jail for getting in a bar fight, with each other, over me. Normally, I would have been flattered, but it just annoyed me. Why those two just couldn't get along was a mystery to me! It wasn't like I dumped Liam. Our break up was mutual. Ash and I were doing just fine until they both decided to beat the crap out of each other and get their asses landed in jail.

I sigh as my history professor drones on and on about some really old historical event. I really wish you didn't have to take core classes to get your diploma. That would make my life so much better. Then I wouldn't have to be sitting here listening to this stuff that I don't even care about.

For the last week, I've been ignoring both Liam and Ash as much as I possibly can. Liam I haven't been in any danger of running in to. All of his engineering classes are practically an entire campus from my Fine Arts classes.

Avoiding Ash, on the other hand, has been harder than I thought it would. Since his major is music and so is mine, it would be routine for us to bump into each other all the time. We're practically taking the same course load.

Also, I didn't think I'd miss him as much as I have been these last few days. Every time I see him, my heart flutters and my stomach flips. It's really annoying because I really am mad at him over the bar fight, but I still love him. I just wish he hadn't acted like such a jerk!

The professor finally finishes his lecture and lets us leave. I am grateful because this means I can go find some Tylenol for the major headache that stupid lecture gave me. Ugh, I really hate history!

"Sorry," I mumble as I run directly into someone.

"Oh, it's fine," They say and I look up. That voice is very familiar. I sigh when I look straight into Liam Hawthorne's eyes. Great . . .

"What are you doing all the way over here?" I ask him. All his classes and his dorm room are on the other side of campus.

"Oh, well, I was wondering if we could talk." He tells me. I sigh again but suggest that we go sit on one of the benches by a coffee cart.

"Alright, what did you want to talk about?" I ask him.

"Well, ah, Lilac . . . um, I, ah, I'm still in love with you." Liam stammers out. What?!

"No," I say shortly. "Liam, we broke up almost a year ago. We're done."

"Lilac, please, I really miss you," He tells me, his blue eyes silently pleading with me.

"I'm with Ash," I respond sternly.

"Yeah, well, you've been avoiding him like the plague this last week." Liam replies.

"I'm sorry if I'm a little pissed off at the fact that I had to bail both your asses out of jail. You two couldn't have just acted like mature adults. You just had to get into a fist fight that got you arrested." I say, my tone clearly showing my exasperation.

"I think you're lying to yourself. There's no way that the feelings you had for me just disappeared. I know that my feelings for you never went anywhere." Liam persists.

"Liam, I'm telling you, that there is no way you and I are ever getting back together." I tell him.

"Why? What does Ash have that I don't?" Liam asks. I can tell that there is anger bubbling up inside of him.

"I love him, okay? I love him!" I shout, hoping it solidifies everything I've been trying to tell him since the beginning of this conversation.

"You loved me, too." Liam says.

"Loved, as in past tense," I reply. "Right now, I'm in love with Ash. You're right when you say that I loved you, because I did, but then we both agreed that it was time for us to see other people. So, I went out with Ash and I fell in love. I love him, I really do. And if you really were his friend, you'd be okay with that and let us be. And if you really loved me, you'd let me be happy.

"Liam, I know you might still have feelings for me, but I seriously doubt that things would have worked out with us. We aren't right for each other. I know it's hard. Believe me, I know. But Liam, I'm certain there is a woman out there that is going to love you as much as you love her. I want you to be happy. You weren't happy when we were together. I still do love you, but it's a different kind of love. You deserve to be happy." I tell him. Liam nods a few times, and I can see the hurt in his eyes, before he turns around and walks away.

Ivy Mellark's POV

"Are you sure you're okay with me going out with the guys tonight?" Alex asks me for the hundredth time.

"Yes, I'm fine with it. You need to spend time with other people than me. Go out and have some fun. I have a paper to write and it'll be easier without you here trying to distract me. So, go and have fun!" I tell him as I practically push him out the door.

"I love you," He tells me, giving me a quick peck on the lips.

"I love you, too." I reply, smiling up at him. I watch him for a few seconds as he walks away before heading back into my dorm room to work on my paper. The last few weeks have been a little stressful, but things were finally starting to return to normal. I had taken my MCATs test and gotten a fairly good score. That wasn't even the biggest thing about this week, either. The biggest thing was when I got my acceptance letter to Panem Medical College. Alex had totally freaked out and picked me up and spun me around as we kissed. It was great that he was being so supportive.

Alex had been accepted in Panem University's microbiology graduate school. Of course, he had to call him parents. His mom shrieked for about five minutes. She really is proud of her son. Haymitch, of course, just told him not to start speaking in even more confusing science mumbo-jumbo terms.

Alex and I were both really lucky to have such supporting families. I know Alex was conflicted about going to graduate school since he knew how much his parents have missed him. I had the same thing going on, too. But, Alex and I both knew that we had to do this so that we could get our dream jobs. It helped so much that our parents had told us that there would be enough time for us all to see each other. I really do love my family.

I sigh as I finally finish typing up my paper for my English class. Thankfully, this is the last college paper I will ever have to write. Graduation is in just a week and I can't wait! Effie has planned an amazing party for Phoenix, Harper, Alex, and me. It's going to be totally awesome, especially since the entire family is coming, including Harper's family.

I check the clock and decide that Alex and his buddies must be back by now. I knew Alex would just head back to his dorm room, not wanting to disturb me if I was still working on my paper. Well, I'm done with my paper and I'm in the mood to make out with my amazing boyfriend.

I grab my purse and start heading towards Alex's dorm room. Of course, Alex has equipped me with pepper spray and a rape whistle. He's kind of become ever more over protective than he was before I was kidnapped. Well, I suppose I'd rather have an overprotective boyfriend than one that didn't care what happened to me.

I turn the corner in the hallway leading to Alex's dorm room and drop my purse. I feel my chest become tight and my throat goes dry. No. This can't be true. I must be overtired and seeing things. This just doesn't make any sense. I try to convince myself I am wrong, but the evidence is right in front of me. The reddish-brown, curly hair, the six foot tall frame; Alexander Abernathy is kissing another girl.

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**Bring on the death threats! I'm not afraid! Yeah . . . that's a total lie, but, if you kill me, you won't know what happens next! So, don't kill me! Thanks for reading and please leave me a review! (even if it's just to yell at me and tell me I'm a cruel writer. I promise I won't be offended). :)**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hey, Everybody! Look! Two chapters in one day! I'm so happy! Now, this one is going to have a few paragraphs of overlap from the last one so that you guys can see what happened before our cliffhanger ending. I'm not going to bother you with my author's note so, Read on!**

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Chapter Twenty-Eight

Alexander Abernathy's POV

"I can't believe you're a senior. You seem so much younger," Hailey, a freshman girl that lived in my dormitory that I ran into, tells me.

"I don't feel so young. Trust me; you'll know what I mean in four years." I tell her. "Well, this is my room. See ya around." I say as I unlock my door. Instead of heading to her dorm room, she moves even closer to me. I turn around to tell her she should go, but I never the words out. She pushes her lips against mine, completely blindsiding me. I try to pull away, but I am back up against the wall next to my dorm room.

Only when the sound of something hitting the floor, does she pull away from me. I look in the direction of noise and my heart drops when I see Ivy staring at me, hurt and horror shining in her eyes. I take a step towards her, wanting desperately to explain what looks like a very bad situation, but the second I do, Ivy turns and practically runs from the dorms.

I walk over to where she was standing and pick up her purse, which had made the noise that caused Hailey to stop kissing me. I stare after her for what seems like an eternity. I can only imagine what must be running through her mind. She's probably completely crushed. And to think, she had just started trusting me again, too.

"Who was that?" Hailey asks me as I turn around to go into my room, still holding Ivy's purse.

"That was my girlfriend," I reply dryly. My throat tightens and I can feel tears behind my eyes.

"Oh," Hailey says quietly. I don't even care that she's still standing there; I just go into my dorm room and close the door behind me. I take a seat on the futon in the living room and put my head in my hands. How could I have let that girl kiss me? What the hell is wrong with me? There's no way Ivy will ever trust me again. For sure, she'll hate me forever now. And I wouldn't even blame her for hating me. After everything she's been through, she deserves to hate me if she wants to hate me. Who am I to try and change how she feels?

I sit in the darkness of the room for a long while. Surely, Ethan and Faith are off having some fun together and he probably won't be back until tomorrow morning. My eyelids are just beginning to droop when there is a loud and angry knock on the door.

I answer it and am shocked to see Finn standing there, his jaw set angrily and his eyes shooting daggers at me. I have no time to ask him why he's here before he grabs the front of my shirt and then slams me into the wall directly opposite the door. The force of my skull connecting with the drywall gives me a headache and my thoughts become foggy. My head might be foggy, but I can still figure out what is going on. Ivy has told Finn that she saw me and Hailey kissing.

"You son of a bitch," Finn seethes at me through gritted teeth. It is obvious that he wants nothing more than to beat me into a bloody pulp, but I have a feeling he is holding back solely for his sister's sake. Maybe she doesn't hate me after all.

I open my mouth in an attempt to give him my feeble explanation, but he just slams me into the wall again and then drops me. I land shakily on my feet, my knees feeling weak. Despite our two, almost three, year age difference, Finnick Mellark is a good four inches taller than me and more menacing than I could ever hope to look. His fist connects brutally with my face and I feel the warm gush of blood as it pours out of my nose.

"The only reason you aren't dead, is because she still loves you, but if you ever hurt her again, I swear I'll kill you." Finn growls at me before storming out of the room. Finally, my knees give out from under me and I slide down to the ground. I hold my nose, trying to keep the blood from going everywhere. Certainly, it's broken, but I can't seem to get myself to care all that much. My foggy thoughts are centered solely on Ivy. Images of Ivy crying assault my mind and make me feel like the scum of the Earth.

I must have fallen asleep, because when I open my eyes, sun is streaming into the room and the blood from my nose has dried on my hand and face. I get up and go into the bathroom to wash up. Now, it's is almost obvious that my nose has been broken. There is some bruising around it and you can see a slight difference in its angle than the day before. It also hurts incredibly to touch it.

While washing up, I decide that I have to go talk to Ivy today. I need to at least tell her that I didn't kiss Hailey, that Hailey kissed me. She needs to know that she is still the most important woman in my life. And, if she decides to break up with me after that, then at least she'll know the truth. I'm going to try and convince her of anything after she's made her decision.

I go over to Ivy and Faith's dorm and knock on the door. Both Phoenix and Finn answer the door, which is kind of what I expected. Finn looks just plain pissed off at me and a little glad that he broke my nose. Phoenix, on the other hand, looks more disappointed than angry. I enter the room and see Faith and Lilac both sitting with Ivy, who looks up when I enter the room. There is a mixture of hurt and, strangely, love in her eyes. This, of course, just makes me feel worse about everything.

"What do you want?" Finn asks me, glaring.

"Finn, be nice." Ivy tells her younger brother, her eyes still on me. I give her a weak, half smile of thanks before speaking.

"Ivy, I know this is going to sound stupid, but I really can explain what you saw last night." I say, hoping I do sound too cliché.

"Okay, explain." Ivy tells me. Maybe she wants there to be a rational explanation as much as I want to give her one.

"Well, the girl was a freshman that lives in the same dormitory I do. We had run into each other on the way into the building and we just chatting. When I went to unlock me door, she just kissed me. I didn't see it coming and I tried to push her away, but she had me backed up against the wall. She only stopped kissing me when she heard you drop her purse." I stop my explanation there. She knows the rest. Ivy looks as if she is thinking and doesn't say anything for a few minutes.

"Umm, can you all give us a minute of privacy?" Ivy requests. Everyone, pretty much begrudgingly, leaves the room. But Finn, of course makes sure he glares at me and mouths "I'll still kill you" at me before he leaves the room. Ivy and I stand in an awkward silence for a while before she speaks.

"Alex, I know that you didn't kiss her, but I just . . . I just think I need a little time before we . . . I don't know. I just need some time." Ivy tells me. I feel my heart shatter into a million pieces. But, like I told myself I would before I came here, I accept Ivy's decision.

"Okay," I say quietly before leaving the room. I don't even give myself the chance to look at Ivy. Certainly, I would break down and start begging her to change her mind if I looked at her. No. I need to respect her decision. It's the least she deserves.

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**I am prepared for more death threats. Hey, at least you all know he didn't cheat on her! It was someone else who kissed him! Now, I guess we just have to see how things go now that Alex and Ivy are no longer dating :'(. Will they get back together or is Ivy just too damaged now? And how 'bout Finn standing up for his big sister?! I personally like that part, even though Alex's pretty face got a little messed up and he may have gotten a concussion . . . More chapters will most likely becoming tomorrow, in between me writing an advanced chemistry paper and baking chicken wings (It's my first time baking chicken wings and I hope I can do it right and that they're delicious! LOL). Thanks a million for reading and please leave me a review! (Again, even if it is just to tell me I am a cruel, cruel human being.)  
**


	29. Chapter 29

**Hey, Everybody! Here's another chapter! Three in less than two days! I am on fire! Whooooo! Now, I know you all hate me for breaking up our two favorite characters, but I had to do it! Things aren't always going to be perfect between them! That wouldn't make them a normal couple! They have to be somewhat realistic! Now, thank you for all your reviews and for reading! Alright, Read on! **

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Chapter Twenty-Nine

Phoenix Mellark's POV

_*One Week Later*_

Well, it's been a week since Ivy broke it off with Alex and today is graduation day. I'll be honest and say that I didn't think that Ivy was going to be able to not be in a relationship with Alex. I mean, they've barely seen each other at all this past week.

It's obvious to anyone that's seen him that Alex is practically miserable without my sister. But, I know that he's made a commitment not to push Ivy, which I respect. I honestly think that they'll be back together within a week of being back in District 12. I think that they're both just extremely stressed with finals and graduation and making arrangements for the post-graduate education.

Harper and I have also started making arrangements for our art gallery/studio. Just this past month we found the perfect place that even has an apartment above what would be the perfect studio and gallery space. Harper and I haven't ever really talked about living together, but, since I plan on proposing this summer, I'm hoping that won't be too big of an issue.

"You ready?" I ask Alex as I finish tying my tie. The graduation ceremony starts in less than half an hour. Alex just nods. He's been quite solemn since he and Ivy broke up, which is quite understandable since I've never seen a man so in love with a women before in my life; unless you count my dad.

Alex and I head over to the courtyard where the graduation ceremony is going to be held. Once we get there, Alex decides to just go to his spot in the alphabetical line. I can tell he just doesn't want to go with me to meet Harper and Ivy.

The courtyard is already completely packed with family and friends and professors and students. There's a lot of energy just buzzing through everyone. I spot my family; they're all sitting in one huge cluster. Mom, dad, Haymitch, and Effie are all waving over at me, huge smiles on their faces.

I feel my phone buzz in my pocket and take it out. I furrow my eyebrows when I see that I have received a text message from Haymitch: Where's Alex? Of course, neither Alex nor Ivy has told the family about their break up. I sigh and send a quick message back: He's in his spot already. While it's not a lie, per se, I still feel guilty for not telling them the whole truth, but it's not mine to tell.

Soon, we have all taken our seats. Of course, I am seating right next to Ivy, us being siblings and having the same name and all. The President of the University gives a very long, somewhat interesting speech that most of the assembly doesn't listen to half of.

After a long hour and a half of the President's speech, we finally get to the part we've all been waiting for: the diplomas. Alex is the first one to have his name called since his last name is at the very beginning of the alphabet. Effie and Haymitch cheer very loudly as their son receives his diploma. Anyone in the world could tell that they're both incredibly proud of their only son.

Beside me, I can feel Ivy stiffen as Alex crosses the stage. Really, I know she still loves him and I know that, if Alex had really cheated on her, she would still want to be with him. You don't even have to know them to tell that they're both completely in love with each other.

Handing out the diplomas takes a long while, as there are about three hundred people in our graduating class. When Harper's name is called, I can't help the flutter that goes through my heart as I watch her accept her diploma. She's just so incredibly beautiful . . .

Ivy's name is called and, while I am clapping, I ready myself to receive my diploma. This is it. I'm done with school for the rest of my life. Soon, I'll actually be starting my own life, a new life filled with amazing new things and first. My name is called and I take a deep breath before ascending the stage and receiving my diploma from the President of Panem University.

Once all the diplomas have been handed out, the President of the University announces our class and we all throw our graduation caps into the air. I pull Ivy into a tight hug as we both laugh and shout, just like the rest of our class. Mom, dad, Lilac, and Finn come over and mom takes about a dozen pictures before we all immerse ourselves in a group hug.

I catch Ivy staring over at where Alex and his parents are sharing their own embrace. Surely, if they had not broken up just last week, Ivy would already be over there, kissing Alex and telling him that they did it; which is exactly what I want to do with Harper right now.

I excuse myself from our group fiasco and head over to where Harper is, with her parents. Now, I'd never admit it to anyone face to face, but Mr. Anderson, Harper's father, kind of scares me. Her parents own the only ranch in District 12, which supplies most of the tamed meat for the District. Her father is a rough around the edges farmer man. Her mom is a very sweet, stay at home mom figure. Harper has two brothers, Hendrix and Hector, who are both twins, which is kind of funny since Ivy and I are twins, too.

Hugh Anderson, Harper's dad, is the man I am going to have to practically beg for permission to marry his daughter. That thought scares me a little bit, but I'm willing to do just about anything if it means I can spend the rest of my life with Harper Anderson.

Alexander Abernathy's POV

I am sitting at one of the tables in the big hall that my mom reserved for mine, Phoenix, Harper, and Ivy's joint graduation party. I've been trying to be upbeat so my parents don't worry or anything, but it's kind of hard when you're watching the woman you love have fun without you.

"Alright, spill the beans." I hear my dad tell me. I look over and see that he is taking a seat next to me.

"What do you mean?" I ask him, pretending not to know exactly what he means. I'm smart enough to play stupid.

"Don't play stupid. I know something happened between you and Ivy. So, spill." Dad persists. I sigh in defeat and then recount to him everything that happened: Hailey kissing me, Ivy seeing it, Finn beating me up, Ivy breaking up with me, and how we've been ignoring each other all week.

"I screwed up," I say, lightly shaking my head as I think about everything again.

"You didn't screw up." Dad tells me. I am about to argue when he cuts me off by continuing. "Things happen, but I'm certain everything is going to be fine. I know how much you both love each other. Ivy just needs a little time to think. She's been through a lot this year. Just give her that time and you two will have your happily ever after." Dad tells me encouragingly. I nod and he gets up and goes over to where my mom is dancing with Phoenix. I turn my attention to where Ivy is dancing with her dad, Peeta, silently hoping that my dad is right.

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**I think we're all silently (maybe some of you not so silently, LOL) hoping that they get back together soon. Well, we'll just have to wait and see. Coming up before the end of this story: We'll get back in District 12, Phoenix goes to get permission to marry the love of his life, we meet the Andersons formally, the Olympics, Finn meets someone . . . , and . . . well, I'm going to be cruel and not tell you the last one. :) Thanks for reading! And please leave me a review! I love all you guys' reviews!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Hey, Everybody! Yay! Another chapter! Can you believe it? Oh, I've missed writing this much so very much you have no idea! And, I still have a day and a half before I have to go back to school! OMG What if I finish it before I go back!? That would be amazing, but, sadly, I don't think it's going to happen. We have at least ten more chapters (Which is kind of a lot). Anyhow, Read on!  
**

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Chapter Thirty

Lilac Mellark's POV

I sigh as I take a seat next to Ivy. It's kind of obvious that we're all happy to be finally returning back to District 12 after a long school year in the Capitol. It's weird to think that Ivy and Phoenix won't be at Panem University next year or that they probably won't be returning with us to District 12 next year. They're really adults now.

I shift uncomfortably in my seat as Ash takes a seat across from me as the train starts its journey to District 12. Ash and I haven't talked at all since I had to bail him and Liam out of jail. He doesn't even know about the confrontation Liam and I had a couple of weeks ago.

I suppose I'm a little conflicted. It's true that I do love Ash, but I'm afraid of where our relationship is going. I'm sick of Liam and Ash both acting like little kids. We're all in our twenties now. We need to start acting like adults. Two years from now, we'll be graduating and we'll really be adults; on our own in the big bad world. I don't want to face the world with a guy that acts like a little kid. I want someone who can act like a man.

About two hours into the ride, we all head into the dining cart for lunch. It's kind of weird not to see Ivy and Alex being all lovey-dovey like they usually are when they're together. Then again, I suppose it is weird for me not to be all lovey-dovey with Ash. Of course, just as I am having this thought, Ash takes the empty seat next to me at the table.

Just having him so close to me makes my heart rate jump a little. It feels like it's been forever since we were last so close to each other. At such a close proximity, I can smell is cologne. I venture a glance over in his direction, barely moving my head at all. Thankfully, he's busy chatting with Finn about something and he doesn't notice my gaze on him.

He looks as handsome as ever. His wavy, blonde hair has grown out a bit longer than he usually lets it. I have to resist the urge to run my fingers through it. That would be very bad right now. His forest green eyes twinkle as he laughs. His laugh is pure music to my ears; the sweetest melody I have ever heard.

Our food is served and I snap my gaze away from Ash, fearing being caught. My heart is pounding against my ribcage and I fear that Ash will notice. But, of course, he doesn't. Ash hasn't always had the greatest observation skills.

I reach my arm out for the ketchup bottle and, at the exact same time, Ash goes for the salt. Our fingers brush and I cannot hide the blush that spreads across my face as electricity runs up my arm from our touch. Ash and I awkwardly apologize to one another and then grab our items.

"Hey," Ash says as he takes a seat next to me. We're about five hours into the ten hour train ride. Boredom is taking over as the time passes on.

"Hey," I reply quietly, almost sheepishly. I feel weird talking to him after these last few weeks of ignoring him.

"Can we talk?" Ash asks me.

"Aren't we already kind of doing that?" I ask him. Ash chuckles a little bit before returning to a serious demeanor.

"Lilac, I think we should talk about . . . us. I know that you're angry at me and at Liam. I completely understand that. We both acted like complete idiots. I just . . . these last couple of weeks have just been torture. Lilac, I need to know: Are you breaking up with me or not?" Ash asks. There is a pleading look in his eyes. I guess I never really thought that, by ignoring him, I would be hurting him.

"I'm sorry. I've just been really confused. A few days after I bailed you both out of jail, Liam showed up and just told me that he still loves me." I reply. Ash looks a bit shocked at this, but doesn't say anything, so I continue. "I told him that I didn't feel that way about him anymore. Of course, being Liam, and we all know how stubborn Liam is, he just had to ask me why. I swear, he asked a dozen times before I answered him. I told him I didn't love him because . . . because I loved you."

"Did you really?" Ash asks, looking at me with hope in his eyes. I nod in affirmation. "Did you mean it? Do you still love me?" Ash asks me.

"Of course I do, you fool." I reply with a chuckle. Ash flashes me his dazzlingly white teeth before leaning in for a kiss, a very long awaited kiss. I tangle my fingers in his luscious and soft blonde hair and pull him closer to me. _I'll never ignore this man again._

Alexander Abernathy's POV

Finally, the train pulls into the station in District 12. Since it is past ten o'clock at night, the District is dark and quiet. We knew we would be getting this late, so we all told our parents we would just walk home from the train station. It's not like it's a very long walk, after all.

The summer's night air is a bit chilly and, even with three people between us, I can see that some goose bumps have spread across Ivy's arms. If we were together, I would wrap my arm around her to keep her warm. But, alas, we're not together.

After a ten minute walk, we finally come up in front of our houses. We bid our goodnights and head into our houses. It is time to face the love of one Effie Trinket-Abernathy. I barely have enough time to put my bag on the ground and shut the door behind me before my mother has me trapped in her arms.

She hugs me so tightly, I am sure that my ribs will fracture beneath the pressure. Once she has released me from her iron grip, she leads me into the kitchen, where my father is sitting at the table. She shuffles me into my chair and pushes a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies in front of me. Okay, so maybe I did miss my mom's baking.

"Now, I demand the full story behind why you and Ivy are no longer in a relationship." Mom says as I am finishing off a cookie. I give dad a "Why the hell did you tell her?" look, but he just shrugs. "Tell me," mom persists. So, I do. I tell everything that happened. She listens and, of course, pats my shoulder sympathetically and tells me how she is sure that Ivy and I will be back together in no time at all. You've gotta love optimism. I bid my parents goodnight and then head up to my childhood bedroom.

The next day, dad enlists me to help him with the car he has been working on for the last couple of months. Apparently, he's been having a bit of difficulty with it. Around noon, we both give up and clean up before heading to see my mom at the bakery.

Mom's been working at the bakery since before I became a part of the family. Uncle Peeta gave her a job when she moved her permanently when she and my dad started their relationship. I just love my mom's cooking and baking, which she passed down to me.

At the bakery, all the Mellark kids are hanging around, spending some time with their dad. Ivy and her brother, Phoenix, are laughing and joking as they frost some sugar cookies. Ivy glances up and her gaze falls on me. I've been caught staring. She gives me a small smile and I feel my heart flutter. She leans over to Phoenix, tells him something, and then puts down her frosting tool. She takes off her apron and then walks over to me.

"Um, do you think we could talk?" She asks me, quite sheepishly. I nod, not trusting my voice, and follow her outside. We sit down together on a bench outside the bakery and sit in silence for a few minutes before Ivy finally speaks.

"I'm sorry," She tells me, her eyes trained on the sidewalk beneath her feet. "I know you didn't cheat on me. You would never do that. I know that now. I guess I was just upset when it happened. I was a little afraid I wouldn't be able to trust you anymore and, after my kidnapping, I guess trust is a big thing for me. Alex, I don't want to not be with you. I don't want to be with anyone else. I know you're the one for me. Can we get back together?" Ivy asks me, finally looking me in the eye.

"Of course we can get back together. I love you and I know that you're the one for me, too." I tell Ivy, a huge smile moving across my lips. Ivy smiles, too, and bites her bottom lip. I know what that means. I lean over, closing the space between us, and brush my lips against hers. She kisses me back and my heart swells. Ivy Mellark is mine again.

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**So this was a kind of overly romantic chapter . . . Ah well! At least everyone's back together with who they're supposed to be! Yay! A few exciting things will be coming up soon, so you should be excited! What excited things, you ask? Well, I can't tell you! That's part of the awesomeness! You'll just have to wait and see! But, if I'm excited, you should be too! So get excited! (Okay, yeah, that sounded wrong . . . :\) Thanks so much for reading and please leave me a review! :)**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hey, Everybody! Another chapter! I must be on fire! (It's Cinna's fault! He must be a fan of mine! :0) Alright, well, thank you to all my reviewers. I know I don't thank you all nearly enough. I really do appreciate all your patience with me these last couple of weeks. I hope that all these chapters are making up for it! I'd hate for you to stop reading my stories! Anyhow, Read on, my readers, Read on!**

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Chapter Thirty-One

Phoenix Mellark's POV

I kiss Harper's lips lightly as we sit together on the swing out on the front porch of her parents' house. Tonight, we're having dinner with her family and I am a bit nervous. Her father, Hugh Anderson, makes me a little bit nervous with his hard eyes and grizzly face. Her mother, Linda Anderson, is always the sweetest woman on Earth whenever I see her. Harper's brothers, Hendrix and Hector, are quite interesting. I think they get pleasure out of confusing me and pulling pranks on me. They both just graduated from East District 12 High School and are going to begin their training this summer on how to take over their father's farm.

The Andersons own the only cattle ranch and big farm in the entire District. It's so big; I swear you could get lost on it for days. There are orchards containing various fruit trees. There are acres and acres of crops, ranging from corn to potatoes to soy beans. And, then, there are the cattle ranches. Cows, pigs, chickens, and wild turkeys are all housed on this same farm. As are some horses, a few goats, about a dozen cows, a herd of sheep, and three dogs.

Hendrix and Hector walk up to us and lean against the railing of the porch. Like usual, they're dressed the same so they can confuse me as to who is who. But, I can tell from the mischievous smirk on Hendrix face, that he's the one on the right.

"What do you two want?" Harper asks them, leaning into my side as we sway gently on the swing.

"Nothing," They answer in unison. Harper just rolls her pretty eyes. Mrs. Anderson calls us all in for dinner and we all head into the house. Mrs. Anderson's cooking rivals my mother's and my stomach growls in anticipation of her wonderful, somewhat southern, home cooking. Tonight, we are having fried chicken with mashed sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, and freshly steamed spinach. For supper, we'll be having fresh apple pie.

"So, Phoenix, does it feel nice to be back at home?" Mrs. Anderson asks me.

"It does," I tell her with a smile as I wipe off my face.

"Hugh and I had a few dinners with your parents. They are quite proud of you and your sister." Mrs. Anderson tells me with a sweet smile. Huh, I didn't know mom and dad had dinner with Harper's parents.

"What do you plan on going into for a career now that you're an adult?" Mr. Anderson asks me. He has a way of asking questions that make you feel like any answer you give him will be wrong.

"There's a space for lease in the Capitol that I would like to rent to use for an art studio/gallery. I have a lot of pieces I could use and other artists could rent space in the gallery." I tell Mr. Anderson, hoping he doesn't think I'm an idiot. I happen to know that Mr. Anderson doesn't quite think anyone could make a living off of art, which does not give me any points in my favor. Mr. Anderson just nods silently.

The rest of the meal goes seemingly well. Hendrix and Hector joke around with me a little bit. Harper holds my hand reassuringly underneath the table. Mrs. Anderson serves the apple pie and it is just as delicious as I thought it would be.

After dinner, Harper and I walk through one of the orchards together, just enjoying its simple beauty. Harper tries to talk me into riding one of the horses, Creon, but I adamantly refuse. I've never been on a horse before and I don't need to end up falling off of one and giving Hendrix and Hector another reason to laugh at my expense.

Once the sun begins to dip below the horizon, I kiss Harper goodnight and head back in the direction of Victor's Village. The fifteen minute walk gives me a chance to think over things. I'm going to have to ask Mr. Anderson's permission to marry Harper and I'm going to have to do it soon. I can tell it's already going to be a difficult conversation. Somehow, I'm going to have to convince him that I can take care of his daughter as well as I love her.

The next morning, Harper calls me and tells me that her brothers can't help her dad with some work and she was wondering if I'd be willing to help. This provides me with an opportune time to talk to Mr. Anderson alone, so, I readily agree and make my way over to the Anderson farm.

By the time I get there, Mr. Anderson I waiting for me expectantly outside of the house. He looks a bit angry, which kind of discourages me a bit. Firstly, Mr. Anderson and I make rounds to all the animal pens to clean them out and to give them fresh water for the day. It's hot out, probably around eighty degrees and it's not even noon yet.

Once all the animals have been taken care of, Mr. Anderson and I head out to the far end of the ranch to repair a few breaks in the fence. Mr. Anderson does most of the work and just tells me to hold this or to hand him that. It's like he doesn't think I can do manly work. All morning, I can't find a good time to talk to Mr. Anderson.

A little after noon, we go into the house for a lunch made up of leftovers from last night. I get to see Harper and she even stays with us while we eat. The fried chicken is just as good now as it was last night. Mrs. Anderson's cooking just amazes me. As soon as we're done eating, Mr. Anderson and I head right back outside.

The next thing on our agenda is also our last thing: stacking hay bales in the barn. This takes some serious arm strength and I finally get the chance to use my muscles. Most people think that I'm the weak one compared to my brother, Finn. Now, I might not be stronger than Finn, but I'm sure as hell as strong as he is. Who do you think did all those workouts with him?

I honestly think that Mr. Anderson is impressed with my strength as we stack the hay. I'll admit that lifting hundred pound hay bales isn't a walk in the park, but there's no way in hell I'm going to look weak in front of Mr. Anderson. I need to convince him to let me marry his daughter one way or another.

"Can I ask you something, sir?" I ask Mr. Anderson as we take a seat on a hay bale for a break.

"Alright," Mr. Anderson tells me. His tone suggests he really doesn't want me to ask him anything, but he knows that I have to. Maybe he can already tell that I want to propose to Harper.

"Um, well, Harper and I have been dating for four years now and, well, we really love each other. I mean, I really love her, Mr. Anderson. I don't think I've ever loved someone as much as I love your daughter and I just want you to know that I respect her, too. She's a wonderful, beautiful woman." I say, my voice trembling slightly.

"And don't you forget it!" Mr. Anderson tells me. I think he might be trying to be scary, but it comes off as almost . . . humorous?

"Yes, sir," I say. "Well, Mr. Anderson, what I really want to ask you is, well, I would like permission to marry your daughter." I finally stammer out. Mr. Anderson is silent for what seems like a long while. The whole time, my heart is beating furiously in my chest. His answer determines the rest of my future. I don't think I could marry Harper if I didn't have her father's support.

"I knew this was going to happen someday. I just didn't think it would be so damned soon." Mr. Anderson says, more to himself than to me. "Well, at least you're a decent boy." Mr. Anderson turns to face me. "I can see that you love my baby girl and I can see that she loves you. I'm a little skeptical that you'll be able to take care of her with that art studio of yours, but I think I can trust that you would only do what you thought was best for Harper. You're a good boy, a good man." Mr. Anderson says. I can feel my heart begin beating faster and faster. "You have my blessing, son."

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**What do you guys think of Harper's family? I kind of like them! It took me forever to come up with Mr. Anderson's profession. I almost made him a butcher :/. I like farmer better :). Tell me what you think in reviews! Also, I posted my very first poll today and I would love it if you would all check it out! It'll really help me out with the next installment in this little series as I cannot not decide on something that is crucial! Thank you so much! Thanks for reading and don't forget to review! I love you all!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Hey, Everybody! Here's yet another chapter! And guess what! I'm not even done for the night yet! This is so amazing! Whoo! Alright, now, I know that I've been focusing on Phoenix and Harper for a while, but Alex and Ivy will be back in about two chapters-ish, I promise! Now, Read on!  
**

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Chapter Thirty-Two

Phoenix Mellark's POV

It's been a week since I got Mr. Anderson's blessing to marry Harper. Ever since then, Mr. Anderson has been treating me a lot better. I guess you could say that he's warmed up to me. He even told me to call him Hugh.

I've spent the last week trying to come up with an amazing way to propose to Harper. This has to be the hardest thing I've ever tried to do. At one point, I considered putting a ring in a loaf of bread, but I thought that'd be too lame, even for a baker's son. Last night, I finally figure out the perfect way to ask her and I am planning on asking her tonight, after we have dinner with her parents.

"Hey," Ivy says as she comes into the kitchen. It's noon, which is relatively late for Ivy to be waking up. And that's when I see Alex land on his feet just outside the house.

"Dad will kill him if he finds out he spent the night here." I tell my sister as she sits down across from me.

"Well, it's a good thing no one is going to tell him. Plus, it's not like we did anything. We just slept." Ivy tells me. I could argue, but I'm too busy being happy. Everything is perfect once again. Lilac and Ash are back together, Ivy and Alex are back together, everyone is happy and healthy, and I'll soon be engaged to the woman of my dreams. Life is good.

I spend the day with my siblings. It's been so long since we could all just spend a day together, just the four of us. We decide to make the trek out to the lake that mom taught us all to swim in. We pack lunches and then head out.

Just the walk there is too much fun. Finn decides to chase every animal he sees, which turns out to be quite hilarious. Lilac questions whether or not he's really even her twin. I tell my siblings about my plans to propose to Harper and, of course, they all encourage me and tell me how happy they are for me. I tell them not to be too happy yet. She does still have to say yes. Then, of course, they tell me that there is no way she could say no.

By the time we reach the lake, we're all tired and kind of sweaty. We just jump right into the water. The cool water feels so amazing in contrast to the heat of the summer day. Ivy, Lilac, Finn, and I splash around and dunk each other.

By the time we pull ourselves from the lake, our fingers are pruned and the sun tells me it is about one o'clock in the afternoon. We decide to eat our lunches on the way back to Victor's Village.

Back home, I begin preparing myself for one of the most important moments in my life. I shower and then dress in a nice, lavender shirt and grey slacks. I comb my hair and style it just the way I know Harper likes it. Once I am all ready, I slip the little, black ring box into my pocket and head to the Anderson house.

When I get to the Anderson house, Hendrix and Hector answer the door and let me in. I think their dad may have told them that I planned on proposing to Harper, because they've been kind of treating me as if I was their brother. Mrs. Anderson tells me how nice I love and then has me take a seat at the table.

Harper comes into the dining room and I momentarily forget to breathe. She's wearing a knee length, flowery skirt and a light pink, short sleeved blouse. Her brown hair is down and loose, just the way I like it. She looks absolutely stunning. I give her a quick kiss as she takes a seat next to me.

Dinner is delicious, like always. Mrs. Anderson made a pork roast, mashed potatoes, and green beans tonight. The roast is perfectly tender and the potatoes are just immaculate. I enjoy the meal, but make sure to take extra care as to not drip anything onto my shirt or pants. I don't want to look like a total slob when I propose to the love of my life.

After dinner, Harper and I decide to take a walk around the ranch. It's a beautiful evening. The sky is blue. There isn't a cloud in sight. The descent of the sun casts an orange glow across the entire District. Harper and I walk close together, our hands intertwined. I can't help but steal quick glances of her. She really is gorgeous. I cannot wait to be able to call her my wife. I cannot wait to start our lives together.

We end up strolling through the orchard. The scents from the blooming trees provide an array of romantic aromas. This is where I should do it. This is where I should propose to Harper Anderson.

Suddenly, I feel my heart begin to pound against my ribcage. What if she says no? What if she's not as in love with me as I am with her? What if she doesn't want to spend the rest of her life with me?

No! I know she loves me. She's said it to me a thousand times. We've been together for four years. We love each other. I love her and she loves me. Of course she wants to spend the rest of her life with me. She's just waiting for me to ask her. She's just waiting for me to propose. So, just do it already!

"Um, Harper, do you think we could just stop here for a second?" I ask Harper, hoping I don't sound too stupid.

"Sure," Harper replies, flashing me her gorgeous smile. "Are you okay?" She asks me.

"Yeah, I'm better than okay." I tell her, flashing a smile of my own. I move closer to her and run my fingers up her arm. She is so completely beautiful. This is it. Now is the time.

"Harper, you know I love you, right?" I ask her gently.

"Of course I know you love me." She replies with a giggle. "And I love you, too." Hearing her say those words, even though I've heard them a thousand times, brings so much relief to my heart.

"We've been together for a while now, four years. We've had a lot of fun and we've fallen in love. Um, my family already considers you family and I think that your dad is kind of starting to warm up to me.

"Um, ah, well, Harper, I love you. I love you more than anything else in the world. You mean so much to me. You're so beautiful and smart and artistic. I feel like I can be myself, my entire self, with you. I've never really felt that way around anyone that wasn't my family. You make me feel like I can tell you anything.

"When we're together, I have these butterflies in my stomach that won't go away and every time you smile, I feel my heart leap. I love being around you. I love you, just as you are. I love you, Harper Anderson. Will you marry me?" I fall to one knee just in time for the last statement. I am clasping one of her hands in both of mine. My eyes are solely locked on hers. There is no one else in the world. Nothing else matters to me; nothing but the love of my life.

"Yes, Phoenix, I will marry you!" Harper exclaims. I can't help but jump up and pull her into my arms. We kiss, our lips pressed up against each other's in passion.

"I love you so much," I whisper to her as I slip her 2 karat engagement ring onto her ring finger.

"I love you, too." She replies, whispering directly into my ear.

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**The first baby Mellark to be engaged! I'm sure you all thought it would be Ivy, but I just knew that Phoenix and Harper would be it since the beginning of this story! I'm so glad I took the chance and delved more into their relationship! :) Now, I really need more people to take the poll. It's on my profile. I need to know what you guys think! And soon! So I can start planning my sequel! :) Thanks for reading and please review! (And take the poll!)**


	33. Chapter 33

**Hey, Everybody! This chapter is a bit shorted than the last few, but I didn't want to stretch it out any more and make it suck. Last chapter that centers solely on Phoenix and Harper for a little bit. Anyhow, Read on!  
**

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Chapter Thirty-Three

Phoenix Mellark's POV

It takes Harper and me at least fifteen minutes before we could pull ourselves away from each other. Our kisses are like fire, burning against our lips and consuming our entire being. I don't ever think I've felt like this before.

"I have to go tell my family," Harper tells me with a smile. I chuckle as Harper leads me back to the farmhouse. Once we are inside, Harper sits everyone down at the dining table to tell them the news. Hugh just kind of gives me a knowing look, like he can tell what happened without anyone having to say it.

"Mom, dad, Hendrix, Hector, Phoenix and I are engaged!" Harper exclaims, barely able to contain her excitement. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson envelop their only daughter into a tight hug. Hendrix and Hector both give me "man-hugs". Once Mrs. Anderson finally releases Harper, she moves onto me. I swear this woman hugs tighter than Aunt Effie does and that's a hard feat to accomplish. Hugh just gives me a handshake, but the soft smile on his face reassures me a bit.

Harper and I spend most of the night together, just sitting together and, well, making out. We respectfully do it out on the front porch as to not make her father uncomfortable. I'd like to live to see my wedding day.

Harper's lips against mine is the best feeling in the entire world. I couldn't imagine kissing anyone else's lips. There is only one woman for me and that's Harper Anderson, soon to be Harper Mellark. Just thinking about Harper becoming my wife makes me feel giddy and dizzy and dazed all at the same time. I just can't wait.

But, eventually, I do have to leave. We kiss once, twice, three times before I can pull myself away. I whisper how much I love her over and over again before I leave. On the walk home, Harper is the only thing I can think of. She consumes my every thought.

When I finally make it home, all three of siblings are waiting to hound me for details. So, I call mom and dad, Effie and Haymitch, Johanna and Nash, Gale, Liam, Ash, and Alex to come into our living room so I can tell them all the news. This way I don't have to repeat myself five million times.

"Harper and I are engaged!" I can barely get the words out before I am bombarded with hugs and congratulations. Really, the level of excitement in our living room is just crazy. I swear mom looks like she could break down into tears at any moment. Well, at least I know they all like Harper.

The next morning, I wake up to find that mom, Effie, and Mrs. Anderson, who now insists that I call her either Linda or mom, have made plans for an engagement party that is to be tonight. Well, my family is quite good at party throwing.

Finn, Alex, Hendrix, Hector, and I spend the day making sure that the ladies perfect vision of an engagement party comes true. It was decided that the party would be held at the Anderson farm, the big barn being used as the main party hall. So, the boys and I are put to work cleaning out the barn, stringing lights, and decorating.

By six p.m., the barn has been transformed into a hall beautiful enough to suit an engagement party. So, I quickly head home to shower and get ready for the party. I decide to wear a pair of dark wash jeans and a plaid shirt with a white undershirt beneath it. Once satisfied with my appearance, I head back to the Andersons'.

At the Andersons', the party is already in full swing. Mom invited practically everyone in Eastern District 12, since we happen to know everyone. The music is pumping and everyone seems to be having a great time. I move through the crowd, receiving congratulations from most of the people I move past, looking for a single person.

The second my eyes fall on her, my heart skips a beat. Harper Anderson is wearing a simple, soft purple summer dress, her hair down and curled to perfection. She reminds me a princess, a beautiful, beautiful princess. She looks over and catches my eye. She smiles and gestures for me to come over to her. I obey.

"You don't look so bad yourself," She tells me, running a finger down the front of my chest. Harper has been a bit more physical ever since we returned from the Capitol; not that I'm complaining or anything.

I take Harper's hand in mine and then lead her out onto the dance floor. Lilac and Ash are performing an old love ballad that perfectly sets the mood for a lovely dance with my fiancé. I twirl my beautiful fiancé around the dance floor and then pull her close to me. My lips find hers and electricity shoots through my body. I will never get used to kissing this woman; ever.

"I love you so much, Harper Anderson." I tell her, my eyes locking on hers. I just love the way her chocolate brown eyes shimmer in the lights. She's absolutely stunning.

"I love you, too, Phoenix Mellark." She replies, leaning in closely and kissing my lips once again. Our lips move together in a fit of passion.

"I cannot wait until you are Mrs. Mellark." I tell Harper.

"Harper Mellark," Harper says. "It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"It has a beautiful ring to it." I tell her, giving her a quick peck on the lips.

The sound of someone tapping a fork against a glass rings through the barn. My eyes search the barn for the origin of the sound. They fall on Ivy, who is standing with Alex. Ivy is holding a glass and a fork so I can only assume that she is the orator of the sound.

"I would just like to say a few words." Ivy begins. "First off, I couldn't be happier that Phoenix picked Harper. Now, I know you aren't married yet, but I already consider you as part of our family. I'm happy to be gaining another sister.

"But, I do have to say that I'll be sad to see my twin brother all grown up. Phoenix and I have been best friends since we were in the womb. We always told each other everything and covered for the other so they wouldn't get in trouble. It'll be weird when we both have our own separate lives after twenty-two years of being almost inseparable. I love you, Phoenix, and I hope you and Harper live happily ever after." Ivy finishes by raising her drink for a toast. Everyone else in the barn follows suit and then everyone takes a drink.

That's true. Things are going to start becoming very different. We have this last summer, but . . . then what? Sure, we'll all be in the Capitol, but will we really ever have any time to see each other? Harper and I will be starting our art studio. Ivy will be in medical school and Alex will be in graduate school. Things are definitely going to change.

It's only a matter of years before we all have kids of our own. Will we become so busy with our own lives that we'll forget to make time for each other? No. That wouldn't happen, not after everything this family has been through together. Sure, it might be rough for a few years, but we'll all manager. After all, this is a family full of fighters.

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**Okay, so it's not my best chapter. Sorry :/. I****'m hoping to get in a few more chapters tonight before I hit the hay. Coming up next we have some AshXLilac and some IvyXAlex, some Finn centered chapters are overdue, and a chapter all for Liam (I feel bad because I never write about him :/ I hope none of you like really love him and hate me for never writing about him . . . Sorry!). So, that's what's on our agenda! We've got about seven chapters before this story ends! I can't believe it! But then I get to start my sequel! Which I'm really excited for! :D Thanks so much for reading and please leave me a review! And don't forget about my poll! I need you guys to participate in it!  
**


	34. Chapter 34

**Hey, Everybody! Another chapter! Whoo! What's that, like, four in one day? Wow . . . That hasn't happened since like the beginning of August. Well, this chapter isn't that great, but I really hope you like it! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Thirty-Four

Lilac Mellark's POV

_*Three Weeks Later*_

I watch as members of the town finally finish putting the stage together. Tonight is the annual summer concert that the town holds. Anyone can perform. It's a little like a karaoke night, but more professional.

Tonight, Ash and I are going to perform. It's the first time we are officially performing together as a couple and I couldn't be more excited. Ash even let me pick out the songs for our performance. Of course, I just had to go with some good, old love songs.

"Hey, babe," Ash says as he comes up to me.

"Hey, yourself," I reply, leaning in for a quick kiss.

"Are you nervous for tonight?" He asks me as we stroll through the town's square together.

"Not really," I reply. "You're forgetting that I'm not the one with the stage fright. That's you, mister."

"As long as I have you up there with me, I think I'll be fine." Ash tells me, giving me another kiss. The last month has been one of the best months of my life. Ash and I being back together has just made everything ten thousand times better. I love him so much and it's crazy how much I missed him that week I was adamant against even talking to him.

Another thing that has me in such a good mood is that Liam and I met and managed to work things out so that we're still friends. I sat him down and told him that I had loved him, but we both changed. I could still tell that he still had some feelings for me, but I was confident he could get over them. I know there's a girl out in the world that is just waiting for him. He's a great guy and pretty hot if you're into someone who is talk, dark, and handsome. I know there's someone out there that will be able to love him as much as he loves her.

"You have all the music down for tonight, right?" I ask Ash we take a seat on the bench outside the Mellark Bakery.

"Yeah," Ash tells me. "I have all the songs memorized. I worked on them all last night so they're all perfect."

"Good," I reply. "I don't need you making me look bad." I tease. Ash just sticks his tongue out at me. I love our relationship. Everything is easy. Nothing has to be forced. We're just perfect together. He keeps me grounded.

"You know I love you, right?" I ask him. Sometimes I'm afraid I don't say it enough.

"I know." He tells me. "I love you, too, babe." He says, kissing me once again. "Are you okay?" He asks me, looking straight into my eyes.

"I'm fine." I reply. Ash's gaze hardens on me and I can tell that he's not buying my lie. "I don't know. I guess I'm just afraid that you don't know how much I love you, because I really do love you, so much."

"Lilac, I know you love me. You don't even have to say it. I can just see it. You don't have to worry, okay?" He replies.

"Okay," I tell him, clasping his hand in mine. He brings our clasped hands up to his lips and kisses my knuckles.

Ivy Mellark's POV

"Why does it take you longer to get ready than it does for me to get ready? I mean, really, you've been in there for like an hour. We're going to be late and Lilac will kill us both if we miss her and Ash's performance." I tell Alex through the wooden door of his bathroom.

"You can chill, 'because I'm ready." He says as he comes out of the bathroom. I roll my eyes at him and then give him a quick peck on the lips. I'll admit that maybe that hour in the bathroom had something to do with how hot Alex looks tonight. As we walk to the square together I can't help from kissing his neck seductively a few times.

Things between Alex and me over the last month have been practically perfection. We've had a few nights that we've just gone out on dates to some of the little restaurants in town. Alex has been nothing but romantic since we got back together. I think he might feel like he has to make up for when we were broken up. That's just silly, but it's something Alex would do.

There have been a few nights, okay, more than a few, where Alex would sneak into the house and up to my bedroom in the middle of the night. We never do anything. It's just nice to be able to close my eyes looking at him and then open them to see him again. It's kind of like a little glimpse of what our lives will be like when we get married. And I can't wait till I am Mrs. Ivy Abernathy.

Alex and I arrive at the Square just in time to see Lilac and Ash start their performance. Since they're the musicians with the most experience, they got to be the finale show for the night. I have to admit that Lilac and Ash do make a very attractive couple and even more attractive performers. Lilac certainly knows how to use the stage and Ash is quite sexy behind is guitar.

"You should have Ash teach you how to play the guitar." I tell Alex as I recline against his chest.

"Why?" He asks me with just enough confusion to make me laugh out loud. "What?" He asks me.

"Nothing, it's nothing." I tell him. "Never mind,"

"Whatever you say," He tells me, kissing the back of my neck. I let out a low whine. "Do you like that?" He asks me, kissing me again. I whimper in response and lean closer into him.

"I love you," Alex mumbles into my shoulder as he continues to kiss me.

"I love you, too." I tell him. "But if you don't stop, there is a ninety percent chance my father will kill you."

"Just think, someday we won't have to be afraid of your father killing me. Then, I can kiss you as much as I want." Alex whispers into my ear. "Or, as much as you want."

"Stop being such a tease, Abernathy." I tell him, pulling my neck away from his lips.

"You know you love me," He replies with a smirk.

"Whatever keeps the tears away," I reply with a smirk of my own. Alex chuckles as he intertwines his fingers with mine.

"Ivy, I want to give you something, but I don't want you to freak out." He says, suddenly very serious.

"Okay, go ahead," I tell him, giving his hand an encouraging squeeze.

"Um, well, this was my mom's, my biological mom's." Alex tells me as he pulls something from his pants pocket. I let out a gasp when I see that it is a diamond ring with a white gold band.

"Alex . . ." I begin.

"I know what you're thinking. Ivy, this isn't an engagement ring. Well, technically it is, but I'm not using it as an engagement ring, not yet at least. Right now, well, I thought you could wear it around your neck or something. You know, that way we both know we're committed to each other. I mean, we are both committed to each other, with or without the ring, but I just thought it'd be a nice little touch. It'd be kind of like we're engaged to be engaged." Alex tells me as he nervously twists the ring between in fingers.

"I think that's a brilliant idea," I tell Alex as I tilt my head up and plant a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. He smiles as he pulls out a silver chain and then puts the ring on it. I hold my hair out of the way as Alex secures the ring and the chain around my neck.

"Engaged to be engaged," He says with a smile.

"Engaged to be engaged," I confirm with my own smile.

* * *

**Raise your hand if you love Phoenix but really missed IvyXAlex! *Raises both hands*. I have to say that these two have to be one of my favorite couples that I've ever created. (You guys don't know about any of the others because they aren't fanfiction characters). Well, I'm still not sure if I'll be getting another chapter out to you guys tonight. Next up is my Liam chapter and I'm not sure if I have enough creative juices left in my brain to make that one as good as I would like it to be. Well, thanks for reading and please leave me a review! (And vote in my poll! Please!).  
**


	35. Chapter 35

**Hey, Everybody! Here's my last chapter for the night! This chapter focuses on Liam, which isn't something I've really done before, so I hope you enjoy it. Read on!  
**

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Chapter Thirty-Five

Liam Hawthorne's POV

"You got everything you need?" My dad, Gale Hawthorne asks me as I finish packing my things into my Jeep Wrangler.

"Yeah," I tell him as I slam the passenger door.

"Are you sure you want to go?" He asks me.

"Yeah," I answer. "I love it here, but I think it'll be better for me if I'm not here, at least just for this summer." I don't really have to explain it to my dad. He knows why I've decided to go on the engineering trip with a few my classmates and one of my professors. He knows it's more to get away from Lilac than to further my engineering knowledge.

After everything that happened between me and Lilac this year, I think I just need a little time away from her and everything that reminds me of her. I'm hoping she's right and there's a girl out there somewhere for me. Maybe that's another reason why I decided to go on this trip. Maybe I'll meet someone while I'm traveling through all the Districts.

"Alright, well, drive safely. I love ya, kid." Dad tells me as we hug. "See you in a few weeks," He says as I climb into my Jeep.

"See ya," I tell him as I wave goodbye before pulling out of our driveway. Thankfully, I don't have to drive past the Mellark house on my way out of District 12. I have a feeling that, if I saw Lilac and her beautiful smile, all my resolve would crumble and I'd end up staying in District 12.

It's easy for me to say that our break up has been harder on me than it has on her. But, I can't really blame Lilac or even Ash for that. I am glad that she and Ash are in a relationship where they're both in love. Ash is my best friend after all. I guess it's just hard for me to watch them together.

I did and do really love Lilac. She's an incredible woman. She has a beautiful voice and a beautiful soul. She's all around beautiful. She's the most fun person I've ever met. She can make almost any situation into a good time.

I remember when I first developed my crush on her. We were in sixth grade and we had to do a play in front of all the parents. The play we did was some old fairytale called Rapunzel. Lilac was Rapunzel and I got to be her Price Charming. We had to pretend kiss at the end of the play. And, that was when I first fell in love with Lilac Mellark.

For the next . . . four years, I watched her silently. I would stare at her during history class instead of paying attention to the lesson. I would day dream about her during practices and end up getting hit in the head with a ball or two. Sometimes, at night, I would have so many butterflies in my stomach from thinking about her that I couldn't eat dinner. I was completely head over heels for Lilac Mellark.

And then, during our sophomore year at East District 12 High School, we started dating. It was really amazing. It was even better than I could have imagined a relationship with Lilac being. I loved her. I really did. And I still do.

But, she's happy with Ash and I'm not going to try and sabotage their relationship. The last thing I want if for Lilac to be upset or sad. I hate to admit it, but I think that maybe Lilac and Ash are right for each other. They always look happy when they are together.

I sigh as I drive past the fields of District 11. The students and the professor are all meeting in District Five. That's where we will start our trip to all the Districts. The purpose of this trip is so that the engineering students can learn about all the different kinds of engineering in each of the different Districts.

The drive is quiet and boring. There isn't much on the radio stations that I can pick up in this area. Most of it is some hillbilly stuff, which isn't exactly my first choice in music. As I drive, the wind causes the crops of District 12 to roll, making it look like I am driving through an everlasting golden sea, the waves ebbing and flowing as I continue my journey.

District Eleven seems to just go on forever and ever and ever. I'm really itching for a change of scenery and a cup of coffee when I finally come to the edge of the District. There is a very convenient Travel Plaza just after the District line so I pull in there and head into the building to find a decent cup of coffee. Inside the Plaza, there aren't many people. I guess District Eleven isn't a hot summer vacation spot. I finally find a coffee place and buy two large cups of black coffee. I drink the first in less than five minutes, only stopping to think that it's hot after I have swallowed it. I save the other for the drive. So, after a quick bathroom break, I get back on the road.

I have about another four hours of driving before I am at the meeting spot in District Five. I still have to go through a part of District Eight and then about half of District Five to get to the meeting place. As I move further into District Eight, the music stations get better and better, but, after a while, I have to turn the radio off. Every time I hear a female singer, I instantly picture Lilac, wearing one of her light, summer dresses and beckoning me to come closer to her.

I sigh as I continue to drive is silence, too many thoughts flying through my head to count. Lilac occupies most of my thoughts. I really wish I could just get over her. I mean, it was great loving her and dating her, but now I just need to get over her. There's no future between us and I just need to accept that. What I really need is to find someone else. I need someone to distract me from Lilac.

Four long hours later, I finally pull into the parking lot where all the students were to meet up. I can see that most of them are already here, as is the professor. Only about a dozen of us got the opportunity to even come on this trip at all. They took the best engineering majors with the highest grades.

I hope out of my Jeep and head over to the group. Professor Crawley introduces us all and then tells everyone who didn't drive themselves' here to find a partner to ride with. I guess some people took buses to get here.

"Hey," A very pretty, raven haired girl says as she walks up to me.

"Hey," I reply, trying to keep my eyes from roaming her body.

"What's your name?" She asks me.

"Liam." I answer her. "What's yours?" I inquire.

"Destiny," She tells me. "I saw you pull up in that Jeep. Wanna be my partner?" She asks with a seductive smile on her face.

"Sure," I reply. I lead her over to my Jeep and then move stuff out of the passenger seat. I load up her stuff in the back with mine for her and then climb into the driver's side.

"So, where are you from?" She asks me.

"District Twelve," I tell her. "What about you?" I ask her.

"District One," She tells me with a smile. The professor pulls out of the parking lot in his SUV. One by one, each of the cars pulls out and follows him. As we start going down the highway, Destiny turns the radio onto some pop station, jacks the volume up really high, and starts singing along to the radio. I have to admit that she looks very, very sexy sitting in the passenger seat of my yellow Jeep. Maybe these next couple of weeks will be better than I originally thought.

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**Hmmmmm, what do guys think? I wonder what's going to happen over the next couple of weeks . . . I guess we'll have to wait and find out! Tell me what you thought about this chapter since I've never really delved into Liam too much. Good? Bad? Like? Hate? Tell me! Alrighty, well, I'm gonna go to bed because the sooner I go to bed, the sooner I can wake up and start to work on the last five chapters of this fanfiction! (And finish my advanced chemistry paper :/) Thank you all so much for reading! Please leave me your feedback in a review! (And take my poll!) **


	36. Chapter 36

**Hey, Everybody! It's the first chapter of the day! Whoo! Only four more and then I can start the sequel! OMG I might actually get that far today! I already finished my advanced chemistry paper and my physics homework. The only other thing I have to do today is cut the grass. I could do it! AHH! Alright, now, Read on!  
**

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Chapter Thirty-Six

Finn Mellark's POV

_*Two Weeks Later*_

I can't help the smile that spreads across my face as I walk into the Aquatic Sports center of District 4. Today is the last day of qualifying rounds for the Olympics. I've spent the last week here in District Four, doing qualifiers for the swimming in the upcoming Olympics. And I've managed to come in first in almost all of my events.

I move through the crowds of people, who are both here to compete and watch the competitions. The events for today are all the co-ed competitions and I plan on taking the top stop once again. I am currently in the lead, but there is a swimmer from District 4 who is hot on my heels.

I come to the section in the center that has been assigned to me and my coach and nutritionist. They're my support team. I'll be honest and say that I feel slightly out of place here. I am the only swimmer here from District 12. Most of the swimmers are from District 4, with a few coming from Districts One and Two and the Capitol.

Honestly, compared to the swimmers from the Capitol and Districts One and Two, my skill level is much higher than theirs. I am even better than most of the District Four swimmers, but there is one swimmer that I have been battling against since the beginning of this competition: Summer Emerson.

Summer Emerson is one of the most stubborn people I've ever met. And my own mother is Katniss Everdeen-Mellark. She's always got this look on her face like she's bored or unentertained, even when she wins an event. And she has this smirk that says "I'm better than you". She's amazing.

I really do hate to admit it, but I find her attractive, both in her physical appearance and her personality. Her hair is beach blonde and her skin is sun kissed. Her eyes are a gorgeous shade of turquoise and they sparkle just like the ocean itself were reflected early morning sunlight. Whenever I see her outside of the Aquatic center, she's always laughing or having fun with some of her friends. She's gorgeous.

"Hey, kid," Coach says, snapping his fingers in front of my eyes. I had been staring at Summer and I hadn't even noticed it. "You gotta keep your head in the game. Don't be letting the pretty girls mess with your head."

"Okay," I reply, nodding my head. Coach is right. If I'm going to take the lead in this competition, I need to stay focused.

My first event starts in about half an hour, so I start doing all my stretches. My thigh muscles kind of ache from all the swimming and other exercising I've been doing this past week, so I make sure to take some extra time stretching them. The last thing I need is to get a cramp in the middle of my 200 meter backstroke.

The tone goes off that tells all the swimmers to get into position; this is my first competition against Summer. I am in two and she is in lane one. As we are getting into position, she flashes me a flawless, white smile and winks at me before pulling on her goggles. I swallow hard and then shake my head, trying to get myself to focus. I have to focus because I have to win.

"One your mark, get set, Go!" I jump into the water, barely having time to think about it before I do. I've practiced this event so many times that I barely have to think about anything I'm doing. I could probably do the entire thing with my eyes closed.

As I push off the wall to start my second length, I catch a glimpse of Summer. She is about half a body length ahead of me. I pick up my pace, pushing every muscle in my body to its limit. It pays off because by the time we're both pushing off the wall to start our next length, I have managed to pull ahead. But I don't back down. I'm here to win, nothing less.

During the final length, Summer and I are head to head. I can hear the roar of the crowd through the water. They're going completely insane by how close this race is. As I come up to the wall, I kick my legs are on last time and reach on my fist, and successfully punch the sensor on the wall. I've finished.

I come up from the water, pulling of my goggles and cap, gasping for air. I look around me. To my right, everyone else is in the midst of finishing their 200 meters. I look over to my left to see Summer smiling, whether that smile is because she won or not, I do not know.

Once everyone has finished, the announcers come over on the radio and announce to the swimmers and the crowd that Summer and I have tied for this event. I glance over at her when we get the news. She doesn't seem upset or anything. Actually, she just winks at me again, which makes a blush flush across my cheeks.

We all get out of the pool and head over to our sections. I get an earful from Coach about how I let a girl beat me. I don't feel like arguing and telling him that she didn't technically beat me. It was a tie. But I know that won't matter to him. If I didn't come in first, I didn't win which means I lost. Coach finishes yelling at me just as my nutritionist hands me my lunch: two all-white meat turkey sandwiches on multi-grain bread, a salad, an apple and banana, and a large Gatorade. I have to replenish all the nutrients I can before my next event which is in two hours.

I take my lunch outside, deciding I don't want to listen to Coach tell me what I need to do better. I'm just not in the mood right now. Outside, I see Summer with a couple of the friends I've been seeing her with all week. They're all laughing while Summer eats her nutrient packed lunch.

I glance up from my lunch at the same time Summer looks over at me. She smiles when our eyes lock. She really has beautiful eyes. She says something to her friends and then gets up and walks over to me, bringing her lunch with her. She sits down at the same table I am at and then just continue eating.

"What?" She asks me when she sees that I am still watching her.

"Why did you move over here?" I ask her, trying my best to not sound mean.

"You looked lonely. Plus, the sun is better over here and I could really use the work on my tan." She tells me, flashing me her smile.

"Shouldn't we not be hanging out with each other? We are each other's competition." I inquire.

"Is that what your coach told you?" She asks me and I nod. "Don't listen to him. Trust me; you'll meet some of your best friends at competitions like these." She tells me with a chuckle.

"So, um, how do you like the competition so far?" I ask her, trying to make some small talk.

"It's nice, but I keep catching this hot guy checking me out." She replies. I feel my face heat up with embarrassment when I realize she meant me.

"Oh, well, I was just . . ." I stammer.

"Checking out the competition?" Summer offers as an explanation.

"Yeah," I tell her, nodding.

"Oh, cut the act, Mellark. You think I'm hot and you know it." She scoffs with humor.

"Yeah, well, you think I'm hot, too." I reply, slapping a smirk onto my face.

"That's right," She tells me, winking once again. "I bet you and I could have _a lot_ of fun together." Oh, this is going to be a very interesting day . . .

* * *

**So, what do you think? Do you think this could be the girl for Finn? Tell me what you think of Summer in your reviews! Thanks so much for reading and please leave me a review on your way out! (And vote in my poll! I need more votes! Please!)  
**


	37. Chapter 37

**Hey, Everybody! Yay! Another chapter! Only three more left! EEEPPP! I'm so pumped right now! Can you believe it, guys?! AHH! Alright, alright, go ahead and Read on!  
**

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Chapter Thirty-Seven

Liam Hawthorne's POV

"Would you just get in the water, baby?" Destiny calls as stand on the edge of the hot tub. It's two weeks into the engineering trip and Destiny and I have just completely hit it off. We're staying in a hotel for the night so Destiny and I are taking advantage of the late night swimming. I grin and then hop into the hot tub. Destiny swims over and I wrap my arm around her shoulders. She kisses my lips, her hand trailing from my cheek, down to my bare chest.

We've spent almost every minute of the last two weeks together. I don't think I've ever met a woman as crazy as Destiny. She makes me feel like I'm really living, for the first time in my entire life. It's crazy how much fun I've had in the last two weeks. It's probably the most fun I've had in my entire life.

"We should go upstairs," Destiny practically growls into my ear as she begins kissing my neck.

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" I ask her.

"Liam, you think too much, baby. Don't think, just do." Destiny tells me, still kissing my neck. I surrender and let her drag me upstairs.

Finn Mellark's POV

I once again gasp for air as I come up from finishing my last event of the day: the 100 meter breaststroke. I can't help the huge smile that spreads across my face as the announcers announce me as the winner, even breaking a once held record. I've been doing pretty incredible. I've only lost three of my nine events for today, and event then I lost to Summer, which I can handle.

"Alright, kid, you did well this week. You keep this up and keep getting better and better and you'll be winning gold medals left and right. Safe travels home. I'll be in touch." Coach tells me as I dry off from my last swim.

"You too, coach. See ya in a few months." I reply as Coach and I shake hands for our temporary farewell. We'll be seeing each other in a few months, when I return to the Capitol to continue school. Between now and then, I'll have to keep up with my training, just like Coach said. I gotta win those gold medals.

I grab all my belongings and head to the hotel I've been staying in for the duration of the qualifiers. The night air is surprisingly warm. I guess the air is almost always warm in District Four, which is a happy contrast to the chilly nights and bitter cold winters of District 12. I could see myself living here someday . . .

"Hey, Finn," Summer's voice pulls me from my thoughts.

"Hey," I reply as I stop to let Summer catch up with me.

"So, a bunch of the swimmers are going out to a club tonight. You know, to kind of celebrate the end of the competition. And, I was wondering if you wanted to join us?" Summer asks me. The way she is lightly biting her bottom lip makes me feel like she is asking me out on a date.

"Sounds like fun," I accept and then let her lead me to where the club is.

It turns out that the club is right on the beach. It's kind of like a tiki bar mixed with a dance club. By the time Summer and I arrive, everyone is already dancing and having a good time. I wouldn't be surprised if half of them are already drunk, too. As I am contemplating asking Summer to dance, she grabs my arms and pulls me out onto the dance floor. She starts dancing and I am soon following her suit. This woman really is fearless.

As the night goes on, Summer and I spend most of our time dancing together. She is a really great dancer and she's not afraid to just dance however she wants. I don't think I've ever met a girl that didn't care about what other people think of her before.

Summer and I accept a couple of drinks, but neither of us particularly likes the taste nor the effect of the alcohol. So, we settle for fruity drinks with little umbrellas in them for the rest of the night. Everyone in the club/tiki bar is really having a great time. I think it is weird how we're all hanging out and having a good time where just a few hours ago we were all arch enemies.

After a few hours of dancing, Summer pulls me away from the crowd and the club and leads me to a spot down the beach. We sit together, just staring out into the ocean. The full moon is reflected in the crystal clear ocean water.

"What are you thinking?" I ask Summer. She seems to be very deep in thought. She hasn't said anything since we left the club. I must resist the urge to take hold of her hand. Surely, a stupid move like that would earn me a very unhappy Summer.

Summer does not answer my question, well, at least not verbally. Instead, she shifts closer to me on the sand and then tilts her head until our lips touch. At first, nothing but shock surges through me. Is she really doing this? But soon, I am kissing her back, relishing the feeling of her lips on mine.

My fingers go to her hair and tangle into her gorgeous, blonde locks. Her hair is incredibly soft, like a puppy's soft fur. Summer's hands rest on my bare chest, roaming over my muscles. The feeling of her so close to me makes me feel intoxicated. I've never felt this feeling before. Maybe it's the alcohol or maybe it's the wonderful, majestic woman that is kissing my lips so tenderly and passionately at the same time.

"Wow," Is all I can say when Summer pulls away gently. We stare into each other's eyes for a very long time. I reach up and brush my thumb over her sun kissed cheek. She closes her eyes, as if she is relishing the feeling of my skin against hers.

She opens her eyes and I am taken aback by the look in her glowing, turquoise eyes. She is looking at me with something in her eyes that I have never seen directed at me before. Sure, I've seen it directed at other people before. My mom and dad are just two examples. Summer is looking at me the exact same way that my mom looks at my dad and vice versa. Summer is looking at me with an expression of . . . love.

No more words are said that night. We kiss each other until the moon sinks below the horizon. We continue kissing until the sun begins to ascend into the sky. We kiss and kiss and kiss. We both know that, all too soon, we'll have to part. Summer will stay here in District Four while I board a train that will return me to District 12.

"Come visit," I plead with her. "My brother is getting married in two months. Come to the wedding. Please." I plead.

"Finn, I don't know. We're competitors. Are you sure it's a good idea for us to be romantically involved?" Summer asks me. For the first time since I met her, Summer Emerson looks afraid.

"Summer, the competitions only last for a few years. Love lasts forever." I tell her, looking her directly in the eyes and playing with a lock of her golden hair. She smiles at me and then tells me she'll come. I wrap my arms around her and hold her close to me.

"Goodbye, Finn," Summer tells me as I get ready to board the train.

"It's not goodbye. I'll see you soon, Summer." I reply, kissing her pink lips once more before boarding the train.

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**So . . . much . . . romance! AHHHH! New favorite quote! "Love lasts forever"! I cannot believe I came up with that! Someone, slap me before I go hysterical! Finn has a girl! Attention everyone! Finn Mellark has a girl! AHHHHHHHHHHHH! Finally! Okay, I'm done! Thanks for reading and please review! (And take the poll!)**


	38. Chapter 38

**Hey, Everybody! Chapter number three! Whoo! I hope you all love it! This one has three different POVs so I hope I don't confuse you or anything. Alright, read on, Read on!  
**

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Chapter Thirty-Eight

Phoenix Mellark's POV

_*One Month Later*_

"Are you okay, son?" Dad asks me as I check myself in the mirror for the one millionth time in the last hour. My heart is pounding like a drum against my ribcage. I'm nervous and excited, happy and anxious. Today is the day I marry the woman of my dreams.

"Yeah, I'm okay." I tell him.

"You know, I was probably more nervous than you were when I married your mom." Dad tells me as he steps in to fix the bowtie I've been wrestling with for a good five minutes.

"That's because mom would have killed you if you pissed her off," I tell dad, cracking a smile of my own.

"That's true," Dad agrees, finishing tying my bowtie.

"Best man in the house!" Finn exclaims as he comes into the room that the church let us use for preparing ourselves. Finn was just ecstatic when I had told him that he was going to be my best man. He also uses it as his newest gloat against Alex. Alex, Ash, Liam, Hendrix, and Hector were all my groomsmen. Harper had asked Ivy to be her maid of honor, which Ivy accepted of course. Lilac and some of Harper's friends were Harper's bride's maids.

Mom pops her head in and almost starts crying when she sees me in my tuxedo. She composes herself and tells us the service is starting in five minutes. This is our cue to all get out onto the altar and into position.

Exactly five minutes later, the music begins and then I see one of Harper's friends begin their journey down the aisle. Soon, I am watching Lilac and then Ivy walk down the aisle. Harper is next. My wife is the next one I get to see. She's going to be so beautiful.

I am right. When the music changes and Harper appears in the doorway of the church, she looks absolutely stunning. That's not even an adequate enough word. There are no words at all to describe my soon to be wife's beauty. She arrives at the altar and the service begins.

"Do you, Phoenix Mellark, take Harper Anderson to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" The preacher asks.

"I do," I say, smiling as Harper smiles at me. I slip the wedding band onto her finger and the preacher continues.

"Do you, Harper Anderson, take Phoenix Mellark to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Harper confirms and I have to blink back some tears as she slips the wedding band onto my finger.

"By the power invested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife! You may now kiss the bride!" The preacher tells me. I pull Harper into my arms and we kiss, for the first time as husband and wife.

"I love you," I whisper in her ear as our family and friends clap loudly.

"I love you, too." She tells me.

We decided to have the reception in the same barn we had our engagement party, since it was such a big success than. The barn looks even more beautiful than it did for the engagement party, but the only thing I can look at is my new wife. Lilac starts singing the song we picked for our first dance and I pull Harper into my arms and lead her out onto the dance floor. I couldn't look away from her beauty if I wanted to. She is the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen on the face of the earth.

After our first dance, we do the toasting ceremony that is tradition in District 12, though it is slightly altered. Dad lights a candle and then Harper and I toast it together, holding it over the small flame. Everyone's eyes are on us, but I don't even care. I'm married to the most wonderful woman on the face of the earth! Once the bread is toasted, Harper and I take turns feeding each other and then everyone watching applauds us.

"I love you, Mrs. Mellark," I whisper into Harper ear as I kiss her gently.

Lilac Mellark's POV

"Hey, guys," Liam says as he takes a seat across from Ash and I at one of the tables. Another girl with dark black hair sits down next to him. "This is Destiny." He introduces. Destiny and I shake hands.

"Did you two meet on that engineering trip?" I ask as I cut up pieces of my steak.

"Yep," Liam replies, practically beaming. I knew he would find someone. It really looks like Liam likes her; too, from the way he's just glowing and always smiling now. I'm glad. I didn't like it when he was all gloomy. Ash, Liam, Destiny, and I chat during dinner. Destiny seems like a very nice girl, maybe a little wild, but that's okay. As long as she makes Liam happy and doesn't give him an STD or anything, I'm okay with her. Maybe Liam has finally found his girl.

Finn Mellark's POV

"I missed you a lot," I tell Summer between our kisses. We are sitting on a bench that is outside the barn turned reception hall. I just really needed to be alone with her.

"I missed you, too." She tells me, barely taking her lips off of mine. "You have no idea how much I missed you." She says, kissing me more passionately.

"Oh, I think I can figure it out." I chuckle, kissing her back, matching her passion. We stop talking for a while. We just kiss and kiss and kiss. It's really insane how much I missed Summer and it was only a month! What are we going to do if we have to be apart for longer?

Unfortunately, that will be happening soon. Summer doesn't go to Panem University in the Capitol. She goes to a small school in District Four. I would suggest that she transfer to Panem University, but her major is Marine biology and there's no better place to learn about marine life than District Four. I don't even want to imagine how much it is going to hurt when Summer and I have to go long periods without seeing each other.

"What are you thinking about?" Summer asks me, breaking our kiss.

"I don't want the summer to end. We're not going to have any time to see each other," I tell her, clasping her hand in my own.

"Oh, Finn, we still have vacations and weekends. Plus, we'll see each other at all the major swim competitions," Summer replies, stroking my cheek with her other hand.

"I know. I just wish we could be closer." I sigh.

"It'll be okay," She tells me. "Like you said, love lasts forever. I love you, Finn. I really do."

"I love you, too." I respond.

"Then we'll be just fine," Summer says, leaning up and kissing my lips once again. I let myself believe her, even if it's just for this one night.

* * *

**Sorry it was so short. I didn't want to drag it out. I actually really kind of like that ending. So, let's do a real quick recap: Phoenix and Harper are married! Alex and Ivy are "engaged to be engaged", Ash and Lilac are all lovey-dovey! Liam has found himself a hurricane romance! and Finn is experiencing him own "Summer lovin'! (Did you see what I did there? LOL) Thanks so much for reading and please leave me a review! (And vote in my poll!)**


	39. Chapter 39

**Hey, Everybody! Another chapter! This the second to last one! Ahh! I can't believe it's ending! And so soon! But! Fear not, for I shall write yet another sequel! I'm actually super excited about my sequel! There's going to be so much happening in it! It'll be crazy! Anyhow! Read on!  
**

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Chapter Thirty-Nine

Phoenix Mellark's POV

_*One Month Later*_

"I can't believe today is the day!" My wife of one month, Harper, exclaims. Today is the day we officially open our art studio/gallery. We have spent the last month planning and organizing. Every moment of our lives went into this. My brother told me I was crazy when Harper and I skipped a honeymoon just so we could open our art studio/gallery in time. We couldn't help it. Mellark Studios was something we had both been dreaming of for years.

The entire family would be here any minute to help us celebrate our grand opening, which was happening tonight. I'm glad they are coming. Really, if it hadn't been for them all "investing" in Mellark Studios, it wouldn't be happening right now. Advertising had been a big chunk of change. Then we needed to find enough pieces from artists other than ourselves to showcase in our gallery.

Our first set of art classes would be starting next week. Harper would be taking charge of all the sculpting classes and the younger children's classes while I would be taking charge of all the painting and drawing classes. I am hoping that we can soon at a photography class to our schedule.

"I told we could do it," I tell Harper as we stand in the middle of our gallery. Just above us was our apartment. It was kind of small, but it was affordable and comfortable. It was home.

Twenty minutes later, the studio is filled with both of our families. The Andersons and the Mellarks (well, they aren't all Mellarks, but close enough). I was incredibly glad that both our families got along well. Hendrix and Hector especially liked playing sports with my younger brother, Finn, and Liam. Linda, Harper's mom, was continually getting dad to give her his baking recipes. Hugh, Harper's dad, and mom could probably spend hours talking about game, wild or domestic. It was nice that our families could mesh so well.

"I guess all those finger paintings finally paid off," My twin chuckles as she hugs me.

"I guess so," I laugh. "So, medical school in two weeks," I say.

"Oh, don't remind me." Ivy whines. "I'm terrified I'm going to fail."

"Ivy, you couldn't fail if you wanted to. You're that smart!" I encourage my sister.

"Enough about me," Ivy says. "Tell me about married life." I can't help the smile that graces my lips.

"It's wonderful," I tell her. "But you'll know how it feels soon enough." I joke. It's pretty obvious that she and Alex will be married soon. Ivy says she wants to wait until she's done with medical school, which is practical, but I don't think those two can wait that long. I'm surprised they managed to wait this long.

Three hours pass before we officially open for the first time ever. Since this is our grand opening, Harper and I wanted to turn it into more of party atmosphere than business. So, we put out snack trays, serve drinks, play some music, and let the people come and go as they please.

I come to realize that all that money spent on advertising really did come in handy. Throughout the night, we must have two or maybe three, hundred people come through gallery. By the end of the night, there is a couple dozen more people signed up for our art classes than before we opened.

"We did it," I tell my wife as I kiss her temple.

Finn Mellark's POV

"I didn't know your brother was such a great artist," Summer says as we sit together on a bench outside Mellark Studios. The night air is cool, as the summer months are coming to a quick end.

"Yeah, he's always been a pretty great artist. I swear he came out of the womb coloring inside the lines." I reply. Summer laughs at my joke. Her laugh is a sweet melody that I have missed so much.

"Summer, how are we going to make this work? I love you, I do, but I don't think I'll be any good at a long distance relationship. I've actually . . . I've actually never had an actual girlfriend before." I admit. It's true. The girls always chased me, but I never took any of them seriously. I would dance with one here, kiss another one there. It was always just a game to me. Until I met Summer, that is.

"Finn, I have faith in you. I'm not saying it won't be hard. I'm sure we'll have our share of bumps. But, what I am saying is that it'll be worth it. We love each other. We'll find a way. There's always a way." Summer tells me, squeezing my hand reassuringly.

"I just don't ever want to hurt you." I say quietly. "I don't think I could live with myself if I ever hurt you."

"I don't think you will hurt me. I'm not worried about that. It's only been two months, but I can already tell you care about me." Summer replies.

"I do care about you and I want you to be happy." I say.

"Well, Finn Mellark, _y_ou make me happy." Summer tells me, kissing me playfully.

"You make me happy, too." I reply, kissing her back lightly.

Alexander Abernathy's POV

"How is my soon to be fiancé doing?" I ask Ivy as I kiss the back of her neck.

"I'm good. How are you?" She asks me, leaning into my chest.

"Much better now that I'm over here with you," I tell her, kissing her neck again.

"Really, Alex, can you even go five minutes without kissing me?" She asks. If it weren't for the joking tone in her voice, I would be afraid that Ivy was angry at me.

"I can't help it. You're just so damn sexy." I tell her, kissing her again.

"You're quite the charmer, aren't you?" She asks me. My only reply is to kiss her again. She's right when she says I can't go five minutes without kissing her. After losing her twice in less than a year, I don't ever plan on letting her go again. I'm never going to let her forget how much I love her. I don't think I could go through losing her again.

"Can you believe that we still have four more years of school before we're at the place Phoenix and Harper are?" Ivy asks me.

"Four years will fly by faster than you think it will. I mean, college just flew right by us. We'll both be so busy we won't even notice it either." I reply.

"Just don't let me forget that I love you, okay?"

"Oh, I don't think you could ever forget me." I smirk.

"Alex?" Ivy asks.

"Yes, babe," I reply.

"Do you think that we could get an apartment . . . together?" She asks me tentatively.

"Do you want to get an apartment together?" I ask her.

"Well, Ethan and Faith found an apartment in the city, close to Panem University and the medical school, and Faith asked me if we wanted to move in with them. We'd have our own room and our own bathroom. It'd kinda be like we're still in college." Ivy tells me.

"I think it would be great to live with you." I reply.

"Good," She tells me, leaning her head up to kiss me on the lips. "Now you just have to tell my dad."

* * *

**Again, three POVs, but what'd you think? The next chapter is the last one of this story! I still can't believe it! But I can't wait to write my sequel! I'm really really excited about it! Everyone! It will be called "Things Don't Always Go As Planned" so keep an eye out for it! I Promise the first chapter will be out tonight! (I really really hope!). Thank you so much for reading and please review! Only one more chapter left!  
**


	40. Chapter 40

**Hey, Everyone! Well, guys, this is it, the final chapter to "Live a Little". I still can't believe it. I really hope you all loved reading this as much as I have loved writing it. Without further ado, I present to you, the final chapter to "Live a Litter". Read on!  
**

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Chapter Forty

Ivy Mellark's POV

"I can't believe we're standing in the living room of our very first apartment!" I exclaim to Alex. Today is moving day! Of course, the entire family decided they wanted to help us move it. With so many people helping, it only takes us about three hours to get everything from the moving van, up three flights of stairs, and into mine, Alex, Faith, and Ethan's new apartment.

I was actually really surprised that dad was willing to help us move in, considering he was so against us moving in with each other in the beginning. Dad had been 100% adamantly dead set against Alex and me moving in with each other. It had taken mom three days just to calm him down enough so that we could all have a rational discussion. Dad, seeing that he wasn't going to win the argument, eventually gave in.

Now, Alex and I were practically moved in. Granted we still had to set up our bed and unpack and everything, but all our stuff was here. The family stayed long enough to eat a dinner of delivery pizza and some cookies Phoenix and Dad baked earlier this morning, but then they had to be off. Lilac, Ash, Finn, and Liam were off to start their Junior year at Panem University. Mom, dad, Haymitch, Effie, Johanna, Nash, and Gale all head to catch the midnight train back to District 12.

Once they left, Phoenix and Harper decided to stay for a little while longer so Ethan grabbed a six pack from our newly stocked fridge. We all sat on the floor, since we hadn't yet pulled the plastic off of our couch, and sipped our beers.

I was just absolutely giddy about finally living with Alexander Abernathy. If you had told me we'd be living together and engaged to be engaged six years ago, I would have told you were smoking something funny. Funny thing is, here we are today.

Even when we were together, there was still a little bit of skepticism as to whether or not we would reach this point. Like any normal couple, we had our fights. And, after I was kidnapped, I thought I'd never be able to be around him again. But here we are: Together and in love, engaged to be engaged. Everything was starting to turn out the way it was intended to.

As I sit with my family and friends, I can't help but really think about everything that happened this past year. Life has been just a crazy roller coaster. So much has happened in what seems like such a short amount of time.

I guess my kidnapping and then my recovery would be the biggest thing. I still shudder when I recount what I went through in the basement of that cottage. And to think that it was done by someone I thought was my friend . . .

Recovery was one of those things you never think will end. I was always afraid that I wouldn't be able to be around Alex anymore. Even when I had success with every other male in the family, I still had that fear nagging at the back of my mind. I really owe Dr. Sapphire a lot. If it hadn't been for her, well, I wouldn't be as happy as I am now.

And then, you have the various romantic escapades that everyone in the family has been through. From Ash and Lilac getting together, to Phoenix and Harper's wedding, to Finn finding his dream girl, everyone's had some sort of relationship issue this year. In the end though, everything turned out pretty great for, well, everyone. Everyone has someone, at least for now, that they're in love with.

I have to say that I'm glad that everything worked out the way it did. Lilac and Ash are just perfect together. I don't think I've seen my sister so happy in a really long time. I'm actually pretty shocked that Finn finally found a girl. I was almost convinced that he'd end up living to bachelor life for his whole life. I guess I was wrong. Phoenix and Harper are so simply in love that they can almost make you forget that love and relationships are complicated. I guess artsy people are just good at love. Liam seems to be happy with his new girlfriend, Destiny. Although, I am a little anxious to see how her wild side will affect us all.

"Well, we should be going. We got nine o'clock classes to teach tomorrow morning," Phoenix says as he and Harper get up from the floor.

"Okay," I say. "Thanks so much for your help today. I love you both." I say as I give them both hugs. It is kind of nice to have another female in the Mellark family.

"You're welcome." Harper replies. "Good luck with unpacking."

"Thanks, we might need it." I tell her with a chuckle.

"I love ya, sis. If we don't see you before next week, good luck with medical school. You'll knock 'em dead, I'm sure of it." Phoenix says as he hugs me. Alex and I bid them goodbye as they leave and then head into our new bedroom. While Alex sets up our bed, I unpack a few necessities for the night. We'll need sheets and blankets and pillows tonight to sleep. Some clothes for tomorrow and pajamas for tonight would be nice. And, of course, all of our pictures have to come out.

So, while Alex cusses out the bed frame because he just can't get it to cooperate, I take on the task of placing all of our many photos around our new bedroom. I stick some in our mirror that is attached to our dresses. I put a few on each of our night stands. The ones that are meant to be hung on the wall I hang on the wall and then adjust them until they sit perfectly straight.

"There! It's done!" Alex shouts in victory as he finally gets the bed frame put together. Together, we lift and place the mattress into the frame and then I make him help me make the bed. As we do this, many kisses and laughs are exchanged. I can already tell that living with Alex is just going to be the best experience of my life, so far at least.

"I still can't believe we're here," I tell Alex as we sit on our bed for the first time.

"It is pretty surreal," Alex replies, grinning at me. "But I'm glad we're here. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else. I don't want to be anywhere else. As long as you're here, I'm not leaving any time soon."

"You're such a hopeless romantic," I tease as I lean in to plant a gentle kiss on his lips.

"That's what you love about me," He replies with a smile.

We take turns in the shower and then Alex really wants to set up his TV, so we spend an hour doing that. We never actually get to bed. We stay up talking and unpacking most of our stuff. I insist that Alex help me organize all of our bathroom supplies, during which he rolls his eyes a lot. We load up our new bookshelf with all of our literary favorites.

Eventually, Alex and I end up in the throes of a pretty serious pillow fight. Really, I'm surprised none of our new neighbors are complaining, since it is like two o'clock in the morning. We do end up breaking a lamp during our pillow fight and decide that we should stop before the TV gets hurt. I think Alex would cry if his TV got broken.

By the time the sun is beginning to rise over the tall building of the Capitol, Alex and I are lying in bed together; just watching as the light comes streaming into our new home. I think the exhaustion of moving finally overcame our excitement.

"I love you," Alex mumbles into hair.

"I love you, too." I reply, snuggling into his chest.

"I was thinking, maybe you and I should take up sky diving or cliff jumping." Alex says. "You know, just to spice things up."

"Right, if you can talk my dad into letting you take me cliff jumping, I'll go." I respond.

"Oh, come on, you have to admit, it would be so much fun." Alex defends.

"Oh, yes, I've just had this burning urge to die." I scoff sarcastically.

"You, Ivy Mellark, need to live a little." Alex states.

"I'm living enough thank you. I did just take on the feat of living with Alexander Abernathy. Lord knows I'll never be able to get into our bathroom now." I tease. Alex's only reply is to kiss me until I'm breathless. Oh, yes, I'm living more than just a little.

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**For some reason, I find that ending perfect. I have to send out a million and one thank yous to everyone who read and reviewed this story. You guys are the ONLY reason I continue to write on this site. If it weren't for you, these amazing characters would not exist. Thank you so much. Now, as for my sequel, that should be up sometime tonight under the title "Things Never Go As Planned". I would be honored if you would also read that. Thank you again for reading this and being a big part of my life. I will do everything I can not to disappoint you in the last installment of this little series. Thank you all so much for reading and I would be honored if you would leave me one last review for this story. ~ Doc95**


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